Deal averts teachers strike in time for opening day

By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR.
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
LIBERTY -- Although formal ratification votes are still to be held, a tentative contract agreement has averted a strike by teachers in the Liberty Local School District.
With only a few hours remaining before a Wednesday midnight strike deadline, teachers and noncertified staff emerged from a contract vote smiling and declaring, "We are going to work tomorrow."
The Liberty Association of School Employees voted to accept a three-year contract agreement with Liberty school board. The vote was taken orally, and about 90 percent of the membership present at the meeting approved the agreement, a union official said. He did not say how many of the union's approximately 175 members attended the session, which was held at the Liberty Township Government Building.
The union's current contract would have expired at midnight Wednesday.
Robert Diroll, union president, said the members will still need to have a formal ratification vote sometime next week. He said the ratification vote would be taken after members had more time to review the contract proposal.
Other details
Board and union negotiators reached the agreement late Wednesday afternoon. Board members are to vote on the tentative agreement at 7 p.m. today.
If approved by both sides, the contract would run fthrough Aug. 31, 2008.
According to Diroll, the contract gives employees annual raises of 2 percent the first year, 2.75 percent the second year, and 3 percent the third year. He said members were happy with the pay increases.
"The numbers, we think, are fair considering the board is coming out of fiscal watch," he said. "We feel we were treated fairly."
Diroll said there was give and take on both sides. He said union members tried to keep the district's financial picture in mind.
He said union members will no longer have traditional health care coverage. All members will either be on a PPO or HMO plan, saving the district money, he said.
What's changing
Diroll said union members will also contribute to their health care premiums for the first time. He was not sure what those contributions would be.
There are also some increases in co-pays for doctor visits and prescriptions, Diroll said.
Lawrence Prince, superintendent of schools, would not discuss the details of the tentative agreement until the union and board approve it. He said, "This is a contract designed to provide long-term stability to the district's students, staff and programs."
Diroll said Wednesday night that union members are happy they'll be in classes this morning. He said the pupils are a primary concern for everyone.
"We are teachers. What we do is teach. It is very hard to remove us from the classroom," he said. "If you were not in it for the kids, you wouldn't teach."