Post by doctorwho on Sept 8, 2010 10:56:37 GMT -6
September 8, 2010
By KATHY CICHON kcichon@stmedianetwork.com
Support staff in Naperville School District 203 will see zero increase in their base salary this year, one of the terms of a two-year contract approved by the board of education Tuesday night.
"First year is 0 percent on the base, but there would be step in year one," said Carol Hetman, chief human resources officer for the district.
The second year, employees will see a 0.5 percent salary increase and step movement, she said.
"The cost to the taxpayer would be less than 2 1/2 percent, so 2.4 percent annual average," Hetman told the board.
In a 5-1 vote, the board approved the new contract with the approximately 585-member Naperville Educational Support Professionals Association. Voting in favor of the contract were board President Mike Jaensch, Vice President Jackie Romberg, and board members Susan Crotty, Jim Dennison and Suzyn Price. Voting against was board member Dave Weeks. Board member Terry Fielden was absent.
"I am pleased that we were able to come to an equitable settlement for the employees and for the district," said Cis Meyer, president of NESPA. "I am very pleased that all NESPA employees have earned an increase in their hourly wage, and that our benefits have remained."
The negotiations went smoothly, Meyer said, calling it a "very collaborative experience for both teams."
Hetman said several key terms were negotiated as part of the contract.
"An important point for the district was the association agreed to grant experience credit to new hires. When hiring new employees, we are now able to give credit for up to 10 years of work history rather than one year for five years of experience. This gives the district enormous flexibility," Hetman said.
The district agreed to language changes on the job recategorization review committee.
"And for the association the district agreed to no longer cap sick days, enabling the members to have maximum accumulation of sick days," Hetman said.
Currently there are 37 job categories, and there are five categories that will be adjusted, she said. That impacts about 14 percent of the employees.
"Our commitment is ensure the job descriptions will be in place for our NESPA membership," Hetman said.
In his vote against the contract, Weeks said he wasn't objecting to the terms of the contract, but rather that the final version of the document was not before the board.
"I support the contract in principle. I have no problem with the terms of it or anything else. I am going to vote against it, however, because, at least the way I understand it, we're waiting for NESPA to get back their version. They can still make corrections, etc, etc." Weeks said. "I've asked, in the past, that we actually have that in hand before we vote on it. So only for that reason am I going to vote against this contract, knowing that it is going to pass."
Price said the version before the board is the same as the final agreement.
"This is the legally binding document for it," Price said. "… The legal binding interpretation is that this is a legitimate document."
Hetman said NESPA would only make minor one-word changes that would not affect the terms of the contract.
"It's simply a wordsmithing," Hetman said. "No other terms which would commit the district would be changed."
Superintendent Mark Mitrovich said he was happy to have the contract approved.
"Three for three," he said. "Everybody's recognizing the challenges that we have and are contributing to those."
In June the district signed a four-year contract with the Naperville Unit Maintenance Association, and in March the Naperville Unit Education Association, the teachers union, signed a three-year contract.
The two year contract with support staff means the district will be negotiating with the Naperville Transportation Association, which represents the bus drivers, and NESPA in 2012.
Jaensch said he wanted to commend NESPA and district staff for their efforts.
"They've managed to successfully negotiate in a very good spirit with three different unions three contracts this year," Jaensch said. "All of them reflective of our current environment, of our current economy, of the abysmal state of the state's economy and the state's government."
By KATHY CICHON kcichon@stmedianetwork.com
Support staff in Naperville School District 203 will see zero increase in their base salary this year, one of the terms of a two-year contract approved by the board of education Tuesday night.
"First year is 0 percent on the base, but there would be step in year one," said Carol Hetman, chief human resources officer for the district.
The second year, employees will see a 0.5 percent salary increase and step movement, she said.
"The cost to the taxpayer would be less than 2 1/2 percent, so 2.4 percent annual average," Hetman told the board.
In a 5-1 vote, the board approved the new contract with the approximately 585-member Naperville Educational Support Professionals Association. Voting in favor of the contract were board President Mike Jaensch, Vice President Jackie Romberg, and board members Susan Crotty, Jim Dennison and Suzyn Price. Voting against was board member Dave Weeks. Board member Terry Fielden was absent.
"I am pleased that we were able to come to an equitable settlement for the employees and for the district," said Cis Meyer, president of NESPA. "I am very pleased that all NESPA employees have earned an increase in their hourly wage, and that our benefits have remained."
The negotiations went smoothly, Meyer said, calling it a "very collaborative experience for both teams."
Hetman said several key terms were negotiated as part of the contract.
"An important point for the district was the association agreed to grant experience credit to new hires. When hiring new employees, we are now able to give credit for up to 10 years of work history rather than one year for five years of experience. This gives the district enormous flexibility," Hetman said.
The district agreed to language changes on the job recategorization review committee.
"And for the association the district agreed to no longer cap sick days, enabling the members to have maximum accumulation of sick days," Hetman said.
Currently there are 37 job categories, and there are five categories that will be adjusted, she said. That impacts about 14 percent of the employees.
"Our commitment is ensure the job descriptions will be in place for our NESPA membership," Hetman said.
In his vote against the contract, Weeks said he wasn't objecting to the terms of the contract, but rather that the final version of the document was not before the board.
"I support the contract in principle. I have no problem with the terms of it or anything else. I am going to vote against it, however, because, at least the way I understand it, we're waiting for NESPA to get back their version. They can still make corrections, etc, etc." Weeks said. "I've asked, in the past, that we actually have that in hand before we vote on it. So only for that reason am I going to vote against this contract, knowing that it is going to pass."
Price said the version before the board is the same as the final agreement.
"This is the legally binding document for it," Price said. "… The legal binding interpretation is that this is a legitimate document."
Hetman said NESPA would only make minor one-word changes that would not affect the terms of the contract.
"It's simply a wordsmithing," Hetman said. "No other terms which would commit the district would be changed."
Superintendent Mark Mitrovich said he was happy to have the contract approved.
"Three for three," he said. "Everybody's recognizing the challenges that we have and are contributing to those."
In June the district signed a four-year contract with the Naperville Unit Maintenance Association, and in March the Naperville Unit Education Association, the teachers union, signed a three-year contract.
The two year contract with support staff means the district will be negotiating with the Naperville Transportation Association, which represents the bus drivers, and NESPA in 2012.
Jaensch said he wanted to commend NESPA and district staff for their efforts.
"They've managed to successfully negotiate in a very good spirit with three different unions three contracts this year," Jaensch said. "All of them reflective of our current environment, of our current economy, of the abysmal state of the state's economy and the state's government."