Cliff Buchan
News Editor

Contracts with three more labor groups in ISD 831 have been settled.

The school board at its regular meeting Thursday, May 5 voted to ratify contract terms for mechanics, bus aides and school child care workers.

As part of its settlement process, the school board also adopted the state-required structural balance report resolution stipulating that the contract settlements are within budget limits and will not cause a structural imbalance in the budget.

The contracts involve 25 workers in the School Age Care program, 14 school bus aides and six district mechanics.

All three unions are represented by Teamsters Local 320.

The total package contract for the SAC workers amounts to a two-year increase of 5.3 percent for salary improvement and fringe benefits.

The child care workers will receive salary increases of 2.9 percent for 2004-2005 and .97 percent for 2005-2006. Insurance improvements amount to .52 percent in the first year and .91 percent in the second year.

The settlementís major change allows employees to accrue 25 vacation days over the previous maximum of 15 days. The unused days may be carried over to the next year.

That settlement was questioned by board member Keith Dunham. Dunham said he was also hesitant to vote on the pacts for the SAC and the bus aides because the contracts were only made available for board review at Thursdayís meeting.

Donley Johnson, director of human resources and administration, said the vacation change was a fairness matter designed to bring the female-dominated employee group in line with all other employee groups.

The hourly pay for a program aide starts at $12 an hour in the current school year while an assistant site manager is paid $12.91 at the starting step. A site manager is paid $14.51 an hour at the first step this year.

The 14 bus aides were awarded a total package increase of 5.27 percent over the two-year deal.

Salary improvement is 3.56 percent in the 2004-2005 school year and .91 percent in 2005-2006. Insurance improvements amount to .56 percent in the first year and .24 percent in the second year.

Bus aides are paid on a five step schedule for each year of employment. The hourly wage range is $12 to $13.63 this school year and $12.12 and $13.76 in the second year.

The six-member mechanics unit will receive a total package increase of 5.96 percent over the two-year settlement.

The new contract includes 2 percent salary improvement in 2004-2005 and an increase of 1 percent in 2005-2006. Insurance benefits will increase by 1.2 percent in the first year and 1.76 percent in the second year.

Mechanics are paid on a five-step schedule. The hourly rates start at $16.17 and cap at $17.81 in the first year. In the second year of the deal, the hourly rates begin at $16.33 and cap at $17.99.

Mechanic helpers will earn an hourly rate of $13.76 to $15.40 in the first year and $13.90 to $15.56 in the second year.

The board voted unanimously 5-0 to ratify the three contracts. The board was 5-0 to OK the structural balance agreement for the mechanics, but voted 4-1 with Dunham opposed for approval of the structural balance resolutions for the bus aides and SAC workers.

President Bill Bresin, Dean Barr, Jody Krebs and Joe Grafft voted in favor on all six board motions. Members Karen Morehead and Rob Rapheal were absent.

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