New Teacher Contract Approved: Salary Increases, But Higher Health Care Costs

The Cleveland Heights-University Heights Board of Education unanimously approved a new three-year contract agreement that gives teachers modest salary increases but requires them to pay more for health care.

School board members praised both the administration negotiators and the  Cleveland Heights Teachers Union, Local 795 for working hard to get the deal done quickly.

The new contract, which begins July 1, calls for "cost-of-living" salary increases of 1 percent in the first and second year of the deal.  In the third year, the salary increase is set at 1.5 percent. 

At the same time, health insurance co-pay from teachers will rise to 10 percent of their health insurance costs, and teachers will have their calendar year extended by two additional days of professional development work time.   

"This is a win for the taxpayers of this district as well as for our teachers," said Board President Ron Register. "We have agreed to a responsible contract that will reward teachers for their hard work while remaining fiscally responsible."

Teachers Union President Ari Klein said the negotiations were open and productive. 

"We worked through many important issues by openly discussing each side’s interests and concerns," Klein said. We did the best we could to work for a fair settlement, using responses from our bargaining poll to guide us."  

About 93 percent of the 517 ballots collected during the voting week were in favor of the contract.  

The school board on Tuesday also approved a new contract for the security monitors.