Cranston Council to Consider Ratifying Raises for School Custodians

The Cranston City Council might soon ratify a new contract amended for school custodians that was approved by the School Committee last month.

The contract would give members of the National Association of Government Employees Local RI-153 raises of 4 and 5 percent for custodians and grounds crew respectively in the current year through a reopener of the contract approved last year.

The City Council must ratify all city contracts, including those negotiated by the school district and its union workers and the matter will be discussed at Thursday’s Finance Committee subcommittee meeting.

While the raises will cost an additional $102,097 this year, the total contract cost increase has been kept at bay somewhat with changes to longevity pay, which shaved $119,507 from the total over three years, according to a fiscal impact statement provided to the council last year.

The total, cumulative impact through 2017 would be $724,496 — not including the possibility of raises next year.

Longevity pay has now been “phased into salary,” according to the note.

The amendment also brings some changes to work schedules and establishes a requirement that the utility crew have three workers work a flex shift with employees rotating in and out.

The proposed contract can be viewed HERE.

In 2012, the union accepted a 15 percent wage cut to help the district save $2 million over three years in an agreement that spared the union from seeing their jobs outsourced.