Mathews nonteaching employees get wage freeze in pact’s 1st year

SPECIAL TO THE VINDICATOR

VIENNA — Nonteaching employees of the Mathews schools and the board of education have ratified a two-year contract, which is similar to the package accepted by the district’s teachers last month.

Lori Wojcicki, president of Local 611 of the Ohio Association of Public School Employees, said her membership accepted a wage freeze in the first year and a 2 percent raise in the second.

She said her local represents 38 bus drivers, secretaries and maintenance and library employees.

OAPSE and the Mathews Education Association, which represents the district’s teachers, agreed to the wage freeze to help show support for the district’s 8.1-mill levy on the November ballot.

The levy would fund a $22.5 million bond issue to finance construction of one kindergarten-through-12th-grade school that will replace all four Mathews schools.

Wojcicki said medical benefits will be unchanged since premiums are negotiated through the Trumbull County Insurance Consortium and not with the board of education. The consortium negotiates on behalf of several school districts including Mathews.

According to the local president, her members are paid hourly wages ranging from $8.40 to $14.19. The contract is effective until July 2011.