State College Area School Board this week approved a new four-year contract with the State College Educational Support Personnel Association (SCESPA), which previously voted to accept the contract on June 13.
The collective bargaining agreement covers about 360 full-time and part-time positions in the district, including secretarial, clerical and paraprofessional positions.
Effective July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2022, the contract includes wage increases of 50 cents per hours each of the four years. Total hourly wage amounts of are based on a system of job classifications and step progressions.
Negotiations began in January.
‘Our members appreciated the collaborative approach to negotiations which allowed all who were at the table to express their opinions, concerns, and ideas. This approach allowed us to have conversations about challenges, rather than simply stating positions,” Trish Storch, SCESPA president, said in a statement. “I would like to thank the members of the SCESPA negotiating team for their commitment to this process and the countless hours they volunteered. I also want to thank the District team and the Board members for their respect and dedication in this process.”
The new contract also includes changes to medical insurance that will be effective January 2019. Under the contract, benefits-eligible employees hired prior to July 1, 2018 can choose either a PPO plan or Qualified High Deductible Health Plan. Employees hired on or after July 1, 2018 can elect coverage in the Qualified High Deductible Health Plan. The contract includes terms for district and employee contributions to a Health Savings Account, provisions for spouses who are employed elsewhere and eligible for health insurance, and an agreement to pay $2,000 to employees who waive health insurance coverage.
Representing SCESPA in negotiations were Storch, PSEA Representative Mike Lehmier, Rudy Burruss, Mary Corl, Maru Cross, Fallon Cruz, Linda Fiorante, Roxann Gill, Dirk Grissinger, Dianne Mintmier, Deborah Ritter, Mandy Rusk, Gloria Sampsel, and Leslie Specht. Representing the district were Superintendent Robert O’Donnell, Randy Brown, Linda Pierce, and board members Amy Bader, Dan Duffy, Jim Leous, and Laurel Zydney.
“We are pleased that the association and the district could work through complex, sometimes conflicting, issues during the negotiation process and agree to this contract,” SCASD Board President Amber Concepcion said. “It represents the culmination of respectful discussions and will serve both the district and the association’s dedicated, hard-working members well in the coming years. I would like to thank all of those involved for their willingness to collaborate on developing a mutually beneficial agreement.”
