Campbell board OKs pact with nonteaching workers

By jeanne starmack

starmack@vindy.com

campbell

The board of education has approved a new contract with nonteaching workers.

At its Tuesday night meeting, the board unanimously passed the one-year contract with the Ohio Association of Public School Employees AFSCME/AFL-CIO Local 141.

The pact includes a 1-percent raise and a 2-percent increase in employee contributions to health-care benefits.

Those terms are the same as in the new teachers contract approved in August.

OAPSE ratified the contract Sept. 9 with a vote of 64-1, said union President Cathy Berry.

The union includes bus drivers, cafeteria workers, cooks, secretaries, custodians and teachers aides. They are paid according to their length of service.

The pay increase will cost the district $13,000, Berry said. It averages $7 in two weeks’ pay for workers, she said.

Union members’ pay rate is determined by how long they’ve worked in the district. Beginning bus drivers will make $14.95 per hour. Drivers on the highest step will make $16.50.

Cafeteria workers will make $9 to start and $12 on the highest step.

Teachers aides will make $9 to start and $13 at the highest level.

Secretaries will make $24,000 a year to start and $31,000 at the highest level.

Custodians will make $26,000 on the lowest tier and $41,000 on the highest.

The health-care contributions mean that the district will go from paying 99 percent of its core health-care plan to paying 97 percent. It paid 95 percent of its low- deductible plan last year and will now pay 93 percent.

Berry said the union agreed to a 1-percent raise because the district, heavily state-funded, can’t assure that money will be there for a larger raise.

Berry said the contract will be renegotiated in the spring.

Schools Superintendent Thomas Robey said last month that the same holds true for the teachers contract.