All labor contracts now set
By Ed Birch, Special Writer
The teachers finally have a contract.
At this week’s Board of Education meeting, the panel unanimously approved new contracts including salary increases to all employees employed in the district including the South Brunswick Education Association.
The resolution approved memorandum of agreements to the complete listing of district bargaining units, ratifying contracts for three years, retroactive to July 1, 2012.
The motion to approve the resolution and its second were made by veteran board members Barry Nathanson and Harry Delgado respectively.
The main group of bargaining units, by number of employees, consisted of teachers, secretaries, paraprofessionals, bus drivers, head custodians and maintenance staffs all received a compounded 7.48 percent package, broken down by yearly salary increases of 2.5 percent, 2.4 percent, and 2.4 percent for each year starting July 1, 2012.
The District Administrators and Supervisors bargaining units shall receive salary adjustments of 2.4 percent, 2.3 percent and 2.3percent during the same period, according to officials.
”I am delighted by this labor agreement. This agreement creates a great harmony throughout the district” stated Superintendent Dr. Gary McCartney in remarks after the meeting ended.
”In collective bargaining it is very usual for both sides to be difficult,” Board President Stephen Parker said. “Neither side is fully happy with any agreement but in the end, both sides were willing to accept the final agreement.”
”The contract negotiations process can be long and difficult and this was especially true this time around” said South Brunswick Educational Association President Christopher Hines, a Social Studies teacher at the high school. “With the new contract finally in place, we can look forward to working collaboratively with the Board as we move forward together.”