The East Williston School Board of Education announced last week that they had settled contract negotiations with the district’s clerical and administrative units, which calls for temporary wage increase freezes for both units in the first year of their contracts.
“The board of education recognizes the challenges ahead of us and has acted on the factors within its control,” the East Williston School board announced. “The settling of these contracts will help this district control costs in the coming years.”
Changes to the clerical unit contract include a wage freeze in the first year, while averaging a 1.14 percent wage increase over the four-year contract. Wage contribution towards their health insurance premiums will remain at the current 18 percent rate, according to East Williston Board of Education President Mark Kamberg.
Another change to the clerical units contract was the way the units flat opt health payment is determined.
In the past, members who chose not to use the district’s health insurance provider were paid a percentage of their health care costs annually. Under the new contract, members who chose not to use the district health insurance provider will be given a flat fee not dependant on health care costs. The flat fee paid to those in the clerical unit, who opt out of the districts health insurance, will save the district more than $85,000 over the life of the contract, board members said.
The head of the clerical unit, Eileen Proper said she thought everything went “very well” with the contract negotiations.
“The unit realized what was happening to the economy out there.” Proper said. “They realized they didn’t want to put an extra burden on the taxpayers because of their contract in this climate, and came to a reasonable agreement with the district and the unit.”
The administrators unit agreed to a wage freeze in the first year, averaging a 1.3 percent wage increase over the four year contract, while continuing to pay 20 percent of their wages towards the districts health care premiums.
The head of the administrative unit, North Side School Principal James Bloomgarden, said the unit and the board had very “amiable discussions” and “difficult” decisions were made.
“I think as a group the administration recognized the financial constraints the district was in.” Bloomgarden said. “We felt that our part in helping the district over seeing financial services was to take the freeze in year one.”
Bloomgarden said it is only fair to take a zero increase in wages, since the teachers union had agreed earlier this year to take a zero increase in the first year of their new contract with the district.
The two units’ contracts were up for renewal in June, and talks between the school board and the units have been ongoing since December, Kamberg said.
The board also approved tenure for over 15 faculty members of the school district, including the Wheatley School’s principal Sean Feeney and director of guidance Mary Harrison.
