West Allegheny OKs support staff pact
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After a year of negotiations, the West Allegheny school board voted 5-4 on Monday to approve a five-year contract with the district's 159-member support staff union, retroactive to July 1.
Under the new agreement, employees will receive an average 3.4 percent yearly pay raise but must contribute more to their health insurance premiums.
The district's net cost increase will be $649,883 over five years, district business manager George Safin said.
Members of the West Allegheny Education Support Professional Association ratified the contract last week, president Patty Hoskins said.
"Our side worked very hard to bring the fairest contract we could for all our members," Ms. Hoskins said.
The union includes teacher aides, cafeteria and maintenance workers, custodians, secretaries, clerks and other support staff. A total of 58 work full time all year.
Voting in favor of the contract were school board President Debbie Mirich, Vice President Eugene Sciulli and members John Scott, Anne Bolind and Ed Faux. Voting against were Ronald Pasic, Robert Ostrander, Tracy Kosis and Linda Diffendal.
"I do have some serious concerns how we're going to pay for this," Mr. Ostrander said.
Mr. Pasic, Mr. Ostrander and Mrs. Kosis also had voted against the teachers' contract in March, which included average teacher pay raises of about 4.7 percent, expected to cost more than $3.7 million over five years.
Mr. Ostrander said the district's finances are challenged by uncertainty about state education funding and Allegheny County property reassessments, increases in the district's required contributions to the Public School Employee Retirement System and rising health insurance costs.
Ms. Diffendal, a newly elected board member, said her constituents have expressed concern about the cost of employee and teacher pay raises and the strain on taxpayers who are experiencing job losses, pay cuts and higher health insurance costs.
"This board may have to dip into their fund balance and/or eventually raise taxes to pay for the support contract," Ms. Diffendal said.
West Allegheny's $52.8 million budget for 2011-12 holds property taxes at 22 mills for the fourth year in a row in Findlay, North Fayette and Oakdale. The school board recently refinanced debt to save more than $4.6 million over the next 12 years.
First Published February 2, 2012 5:04 am
