43
School board OKs agreement
By jeanne starmack
youngstown
Trades workers in the Youngstown schools now have the same health-care coverage as teachers and administrators.
The school board unanimously passed a resolution Monday that brings the 12 trades workers under the same coverage as teachers and administrators. The change is effective in March. Trades workers include plumbers, painters, electricians and carpenters.
The district also will negotiate with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 1143 to bring those union members under the same plan. Local 1143 covers secretaries, food-service workers and custodians. There are approximately 350 members.
Having everyone under the same coverage makes it easier to market the district to other health-care companies, which could save the district money, said Karen Green, Youngstown schools’ assistant superintendent for human resources.
When the teachers contract with a 2 percent raise was ratified Dec. 17, the trades workers and the AFSCME Local 1143 automatically got the same raise because of a “me too” clause in their contracts.
The Youngstown Education Association, which is the teachers union, with 525 members, agreed to a 10 percent contribution toward their health-care premium, a change from 1.57 percent of their salaries. Teachers also agreed to forgo two health-care plans to join one that is uniform districtwide.
The trades workers and AFSCME already have been paying 10 percent toward their premiums, said Green. The teachers’ agreeing to the health-care change, however, triggered a re-opener clause in the AFSCME and trades contracts for health-care negotiations, she said.
Now, the only union not on the same plan is AFSCME. Green said there are no talks set yet with AFSCME.
The school district is self-insured, with Anthem Blue Cross and Medical Mutual of Ohio acting as third-party administrators, explained Jim Reinhard, schools treasurer.