Yearly 4.7 percent pay hikes included
By: Dick Brinster
HIGHTSTOWN East Windsor Regional District teachers have a new three-year contract with annual pay raises of 4.70 percent.
The Board of Education approved the deal, with a salary scale ranging from $44,410 to $76,138 in the first year, by an 8-0 vote at Monday night’s meeting. The East Windsor Education Association, working without a contract since expiration of a three-year pact on June 30, ratified the board’s offer 348-15 on Nov. 21. That last deal included 4.8 percent annual salary hikes.
"I hope the public will appreciate that this was a very good contract for us," said board member Suzann Fallon, a member of the negotiating committee. "Our teachers are doing a really good job."
The deal, which will cost the district $27.1 million in 2006-2007, sets aside $1.276 million in raises this school year. It received an enthusiastic approval from union chief Jan Amenhauser.
"We were very happy that the board ratified the contract and the teachers are excited that finally everything has been approved," she said Tuesday.
Ms. Fallon said negotiations were not always easy, but were very productive. The bargaining stretched over about six weeks beyond the date both sides had figured would result in the contract being put before the teachers for ratification.
The board and the EWEA had reached an agreement in principle on June 22, and a ratification vote had been expected when schools reopened in September. But sources said teachers wanted salary-scale adjustments.
The issue was resolved earlier this month, and the agreement was submitted to EWEA officials on Nov. 13.
"This contract says we want to continue to improve," said Schools Superintendent Ron Bolandi, who has credited teachers with playing a major role in the dramatic improvement in scores on state aptitude tests over the last two years. "I think it gives the staff the message that this board appreciates what they do."
Ms. Amenhauser was grateful for Mr. Bolandi’s recognition of teacher contributions.
"He’s very pleased that teachers have been using the district’s staff development opportunities," she said. "Many workshops were offered this summer and many teachers continue to attend workshops after school."
Although she was not part of the board’s three-member bargaining unit, President Alice Weisman, a professional negotiator by trade, praised both sides for reaching a fair contract after considerable give and take.
"You know that it’s a good job if everybody walks away a little happy and a little unhappy," she said.
Under terms of the contract, the salary for teacher with a bachelor’s degree will rise to $48,740 in the final year of the pact. The top pay for an educator with a doctorate on the 17th and final year of the scale is $80,468.
The smallest paycheck in the first year of the pact is up $1,790 from the $42,620 first-year teachers received in the contract approved in 2003. The biggest paycheck then was $74,138, and that rose $2,000 in the new deal.
Under the new contract, there’s a $5 increase for prescription co-pays to $15 for generic drugs and $20 for name-brand pharmaceuticals. There also were slight increases in medical and dental deductibles.
Teachers again were not asked to contribute toward their health care premiums from their paychecks. The policy of no contributions by the teachers for benefits, which board members say is the industry standard, drew criticism from some taxpayers at public forums in May on the defeated $79.2 million school budget.
The contract is retroactive to July 1, and expires June 30, 2009.
A mediation session Tuesday night between members of the East Windsor Regional Support Staff Association and the board failed to result in an agreement, but Mr. Bolandi and EWRSSA negotiation chairwoman Bernadette Citarella were optimistic.
"Hopefully, we can wrap this up in January," Mr. Bolandi said.
Ms. Citarella, agreed, saying considerable progress was made.
The association, which represents about 285 employees, staged a rally Tuesday night before the mediation session. The rally was held in the parking lot adjacent to the administrative wing at Hightstown High School.
"It was a very positive, uplifting rally, and we had about 100 people," Ms. Citarella said.
The district and the EWRSAA have been in negotiations for about a year-and-a half. The association represents teacher’s aides, custodians, maintenance workers, bus drivers, secretaries, clerks and computer technicians.

