HARROD — After 18 months of extended negotiations, the Allen East teacher’s union and the board of education have agreed on a contract.
On Monday, both parties voted to accept the recommendations set forth by a fact-finder with the State Employment Relations Board, who was brought in to resolve the financial stalemate.
A report from fact-finder John Lenehan states that full-time teachers are entitled to a 4 percent salary increase between the 2014-15 and 2016-17 school years. Teachers will receive a 1 percent raise retroactive to 2014-15, a 1.5 percent raise this school year and another 1.5 percent raise in 2016-17.
In addition, teachers who are not receiving a STEP raise will earn a $1,000 stipend each year throughout the duration of the contract, which ends in the 2016-17 school year. STEP raises are awarded to teachers based on years experience and academic training. Teachers are given raises most years, except for certain periods of time when the STEP schedule is frozen.
Allen East Superintendent Mel Rentschler said stipends from the 2014-15 school year and the first half of this school year have already been given to the teachers who qualify. Rentschler said there are 25 teachers who received last year’s stipend, along with 26 this year and 27 next year. The district employs 65 teachers.
According to Rentschler, the board unanimously voted in favor of the board’s recommended contract, which was also accepted by the Allen East Education Association by a vote of 47-2.
The district’s superintendent said he and the board are satisfied with the contract and are glad the negotiation process is over.
“This was not a win-win, lose-lose for anyone — we all kind of lost in this process,” Rentschler said. “We’re just happy the teachers accepted it, and we thank the community for what they went through throughout these negotiations.
“Now it’s time to move forward and focus 100 percent on the kids instead of these issues.”
Pat Johnson, a labor relations consultant with the Ohio Education Association — the statewide organization that represents teacher’s unions — said Allen East teachers are happy negotiations are over, but they believe the outcome was not in their favor.
“The Allen East Education Association is glad to be able to conclude this round of negotiations through fact-finding,” said Johnson, who is a consultant to the group. “We’re pleased to have an agreement both parties agreed to.”
The union wanted a 2 percent base salary increase each year of the contract, totaling 6 percent between 2014-15 and 2016-17. The board of education wanted a 1 percent increase per year, equaling 3 percent over that same period.
“What the fact-finder did was basically cut the baby in two,” Rentschler said. “If you look at the numbers from both sides, they basically cut it in half, which is what they should do.”
Johnson said members of the Allen East teacher’s union will not comment on the negotiated contract.
.neFileBlock {
margin-bottom: 20px;
}
.neFileBlock p {
margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
}
.neFileBlock .neFile {
border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;
padding-bottom: 5px;
padding-top: 10px;
}
.neFileBlock .neCaption {
font-size: 85%;
}
