Beachwood BOE Approves Support Staff Union Contract

The Beachwood City Schools approved a union contract for support staff at last night’s meeting.

Support staff, including bus drivers, cafeteria and maintenance workers, agreed to a two-year wage freeze, a 10 percent contribution into their healthcare premiums – up from 5 percent last year – and a slight increase in co-pays and deductibles.

But one important improvement for the union was the elimination of a board policy that could demerit employees when they used excessive sick days without documentation – such as a doctor’s note.

That’s the clause that sparked the drive for a union in September of 2009, said Kim Luther, the Ohio Federation of Teachers’ field coordinator.

The district outsourced their busing routes in the summer of 2010, after the OFT filed a complaint with the State Employment Relations Board that the support staff had begun forming a union before the outsourcing.

This contract has been in negotiation for 11 months, said Superintendent Rich Markwardt. "This new contract is a fair and workable document that represents the collaborative effort. It provides the assurances to our staff and demonstrates a commitment to capture district savings as related to wages, healthcare and other costs." 

Support staff will also receive a lump payment of 2 percent of their school year wages in July of 2012.

"On behalf of the whole membership we look forward to a new relationship with the Beachwood Board of Education which is based on mutual cooperation and respect,” said Beachwood Union of Support Staff President Allan Bobincheck.

He added, “I feel that because of this experience each side has gained a better understanding and appreciation for the other side and the work they do.”