BOCES, teachers agree on contract
NORWICH – Following ratification by union members and the BOCES board, it is official that the teachers, therapists and various other professionals have come to a finalized contract agreement with BOCES administrators.
“It has been a long, hard process,” said President of the BOCES Teachers Association Kay White. “It is a fair agreement.”
After two years of contract debates, White said the turning point came when she and her husband Steve, the head union negotiator for the union, met with BOCES Board President Tim Thomas and Superintendent Alan Pole in a face to face meeting.
“I am pleased the contract has been ratified by both the teachers and the BOCES board. I believe it is a fair contract and we are pleased to have an agreement in place through 2011,” said Pole.
Two issues which held precedent over various others during the negotiation process throughout the past two years were health and retirement benefits. Before ratification, BTA members were operating under 4 percent increases in pay per year, paying a portion of health care, paying co-pays on drug card costs and seeing limited or no retirement benefits for their time served.
Upon ratifying the new contract, BTA members will be entitled to $300 a year for up to 25 years with the maximum of $7,500 for a minimum of 15 years of service with BOCES. Health care coverage will begin at $160 a year for individuals or 3 percent for families and gradually increase for three years. The contract itself has been designed to last six years to gradually put the new additions in place.
As for employee salaries, for the first four years of the contract a salary increase of 4 percent will be seen and an increase of 4.25 percent will go into effect for the last two years of the agreement.
BOCES Director of Employee Relations Mark Pettitt says the new drug card benefits that will require the employee to pay $5 for generic prescriptions and $20 for name brand prescriptions will ultimately save the district $67,000 a year. The drug card in place previously was $10 less for brand name prescriptions.
According to Pettitt, employees as of Feb. 1 could see the change in the drug card and both the salary and the health care coverage will be retroactive, effective in mid to late February.
“It has been a long, hard process,” said President of the BOCES Teachers Association Kay White. “It is a fair agreement.”
After two years of contract debates, White said the turning point came when she and her husband Steve, the head union negotiator for the union, met with BOCES Board President Tim Thomas and Superintendent Alan Pole in a face to face meeting.
“I am pleased the contract has been ratified by both the teachers and the BOCES board. I believe it is a fair contract and we are pleased to have an agreement in place through 2011,” said Pole.
Two issues which held precedent over various others during the negotiation process throughout the past two years were health and retirement benefits. Before ratification, BTA members were operating under 4 percent increases in pay per year, paying a portion of health care, paying co-pays on drug card costs and seeing limited or no retirement benefits for their time served.
Upon ratifying the new contract, BTA members will be entitled to $300 a year for up to 25 years with the maximum of $7,500 for a minimum of 15 years of service with BOCES. Health care coverage will begin at $160 a year for individuals or 3 percent for families and gradually increase for three years. The contract itself has been designed to last six years to gradually put the new additions in place.
As for employee salaries, for the first four years of the contract a salary increase of 4 percent will be seen and an increase of 4.25 percent will go into effect for the last two years of the agreement.
BOCES Director of Employee Relations Mark Pettitt says the new drug card benefits that will require the employee to pay $5 for generic prescriptions and $20 for name brand prescriptions will ultimately save the district $67,000 a year. The drug card in place previously was $10 less for brand name prescriptions.
According to Pettitt, employees as of Feb. 1 could see the change in the drug card and both the salary and the health care coverage will be retroactive, effective in mid to late February.
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