School Committee settles with remaining unions

The Canton School Committee voted to ratify agreements with all of the remaining school employees’ unions, including the Canton Teachers Association, at its meeting last Thursday, September 17. The news is significant as the committee now knows all of its labor costs — a big part of the school budget picture — for the next three years.

School Committee Chairman Bob Golledge announced the agreements with the teachers as well as the education assistants, ADA teachers, and school aides.

The committee had previously settled contracts with the custodial and maintenance workers and food service personnel. All received three-year contracts with annual raises of 2 percent, except for the teachers union, which received a 2 percent raise in years one and three and a 2.5 percent raise in year two of the contract.

Golledge said it is possible that the other unions would receive the 2.5 percent raise in the second year in order to make all of the contracts uniform.

“We feel great about [the agreements],” he said. “We feel this is a responsible contract, which reflects modest growth.”

Golledge said the negotiations with all of the unions went well, culminating with a successful pact with the CTA shortly after school resumed in September.

In related news, the committee approved a rate increase for food service substitutes from $9.25 to $11 per hour.

In other news:

* School Business Manager Barry Nectow announced that he will put out a Request for Proposals (RFP) to supply before- and after-school care at all three elementary schools. Interim Superintendent Jen Henderson released the results of a JFK parent survey in which 77 percent of respondents stated they would be interested in after-school care, with a lesser number interested in morning care.

* The Canton Public Schools will host a math workshop for parents of elementary school students (grades 1-5) on Tuesday, September 29, from 6-8 p.m. at the Kennedy School. The topic will be the enVisionMath curriculum.

* The committee approved a home CHS varsity hockey game to be played at Providence College’s Schneider Arena against Franklin in the upcoming winter season. PC offered the ice time when college athletic officials heard of the roof collapse at the Metropolis Skating Rink last winter …

See this week’s Canton Citizen for more highlights from the September 17 School Committee meeting. Not a subscriber? Click here to order your subscription today ($25 for one year through October 31).

Short URL: https://www.thecantoncitizen.com/?p=30874

Posted by Mike Berger on Sep 25 2015. Filed under News, Schools. Both comments and pings are currently closed.