Board, OAPSE Ratify 3-Year Contract

Westlake Schools logoThe Westlake Board of Education voted unanimously at a Jan. 28 special meeting to approve a new three-year contract for its classified staff members. The action follows a Jan. 26 vote by the Ohio Association of Public School Employees (OAPSE) Local 319 to ratify the contract.

The agreement, reached with the help of a federal mediator, provides the following:

  • Year One: A one-time 1.5 percent payment of the employee’s contracted salary for the 2015-2016 school year.
  • Year Two: A 1.5 percent base wage increase, including any applicable step increase effective during the 2016-2017 school year. Insurance Change: Effective July 1, all OAPSE members are subject to the spousal insurance mandate, meaning spouses who have access to insurance coverage through their employer are required to enroll in that coverage.
  • Year Three: A 1.5 percent base wage increase effective for the 2017-2018 school year.

“The Board is pleased that our support staff partnered with the school district in approving an agreement that is fair to our students, employees and community,” said Westlake Board of Education President Carol Winter. “This three-year contract allows the Board to better control costs while also offering fair salary and benefits to our district support staff. We thank members of both negotiating teams for their collective time, energy and commitment during this lengthy process.”

Superintendent Geoff Palmer also expressed gratitude to the OAPSE negotiating team and membership for its acknowledgment of the district’s financial status and agreeing to contract terms reflective of those conditions.

“This negotiated agreement is another step in our efforts to align our expenses with our revenue,” Palmer said. “The changes made to the insurance plan result in significant savings, allowing the district to fund the vast majority of compensation changes.”

“It was a long, difficult year of negotiations, starting from January 2015,” said OAPSE President Karen Herzberger. “By continuing to work together to try and get our negotiations completed, an agreement was successfully completed.”

The new contract runs July 1, 2015, through June 30, 2018. OAPSE represents more than 200 employees in the school district, including aides, attendants, bus drivers, cafeteria workers, cleaners, custodians, maintenance, secretaries and cleaners.