School District Reaches Collective Bargaining Agreement With 180 Employees
The three-year contract includes a pay increase in 2013-14 and 2014-15.
The Upper St. Clair School District and the union representing about 180 employees have agreed on a three-year collective bargaining agreement. The school board voted 8-0 on Monday night to approve the contract.
The Upper St. Clair Special Service Federation represents custodians, maintenance workers, mechanics, secretaries, aides and nutrition center employees. The union members voted to approve the agreement on Saturday, Dec. 8.
Details of the contract include a wage freeze in the 2012-13 school year and increases in 2013-14 and 2014-15 of 20 cents per hour for all members except teacher aides who will receive increases of $.25 per hour in each of the two years. This represents an average annual wage increase of about 1 percent in years two and three for all members, according to Superintendent Patrick O'Toole.
The new agreement also establishes that employees will pay a portion of the premium for health insurance. The employee contribution is 4 to 5 percent of the cost of the entire premium beginning Jan. 1, 2013. The employee contribution will increase to 5 to 6 percent in 2014. The percents are based on salary.
The language changes in the new contract provide the district with greater flexibility in the selection, scheduling and assignment of employees in order to meet the district's staffing needs, according to O'Toole.
"We are very pleased with our agreement, given the present economic challeges the district faces. The employees represented by USCSSF are critical to our mission at USC," O'Toole stated.
School board member Harry Kunselman wasn't able to attend Monday's meeting and therefore did not vote.
Thoughts on the new agreement? Tell us in the comments below.
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Upper St. Clair School District Central Office
1820 McLaughlin Run Rd, Upper St Clair, PA
Bryan
3:45 am on Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Cue the histarics about actually giving raises even though they are crap.
Wake Up
9:33 am on Tuesday, December 11, 2012
cue the hysterics also!!!!!!
Roger
6:52 am on Tuesday, December 11, 2012
No, Bryan, the que cards should not include anything about the raises. The cards should include the criticisms of the meager changes in contributions for health care premiums. Asking for four to five percent, and five to six percent is only tokenism. This meager changes do not address the significant cost changes associated with health insurance. Somebody should have a red-face, just for showing up at the bargaining table with these measly contributions.
Maria Miller
8:42 am on Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Brian learn to spell the words before you use them. Maybe your teachers and aides didn't make enough money to teach you this. There is also a spelling error in the Superintendent's quote. I hope it was a typo!
Bryan
1:37 pm on Tuesday, December 11, 2012
The irony of this post is humorous.
Bryan
1:34 pm on Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Sorry for the spelling errors. Didn't know we had a bunc of grammar Nazis on here. If you happened to notice that comment was @ 3:45 AM.
Roger, as far as the contribution toward the plans. According to most reports, that will cover the raise in health insurance rates associated with the ACA. I know historically that government employees of all types generally were afforded good healthcare (sometimes as a trade off to higher wages). I would want to see a comparison of these numbers vs other townships and private industry to make an informed opinion.
Looking at the raises, they are basically nothing. Which, given the current financial situation of the district, makes sense but in the private sector may have employees looking elsewhere. (Again, the trade off for healthcare and better working hours).
Wake Up
11:54 pm on Tuesday, December 11, 2012
You are forgiven.....there is an "H" in bunch
Jason Bahr
8:17 am on Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Yes Bryan – the new ealthcare laws will fix all our oblems!!! Hurrah – we are on the road to rosperity!! Thanks for pointing that out!
Bryan
8:56 am on Wednesday, December 12, 2012
I swear it's like amateur hour of trolls on Patch. Guess that is what happens when you introduce people to the interwebs (did you know that Al Gore invented the internet).
Oh yeah, although clearly tongue in cheek, that was probably the worst argument I have ever heard. One mention of ACA and that's what you respond with?
bob balmer
4:46 pm on Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Al Gore invented the internet! I had no ideal. Did he invent IB?
Wake Up
10:57 pm on Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Good question bob.....Not sure if Mr. Gore had irritable bowel or not, Bryan are you up to speed on Mr. Gore's bowel movements?