Contract settlement with support staff to go before Board of Education

By Kate Hayden, khayden@charlescitypress.com

The Charles City Board of Education will review a support staff contract during Monday’s meeting, according to the agenda released Friday.

District administration and the Charles City Educational Services Association agreed to a base wage increase of 29 cents per hour (a 1.69 percent total package increase), and a one-year contract agreement. The agreement also establishes a Labor Management Committee, which district administration previously rejected during April negotiations.

The proposal that goes to the Board on Monday is the third attempt and first settlement between the school district and support staff members since January, when the Iowa legislature swiftly introduced and passed sweeping changes to Chapter 20 bargaining for public employees.

The agreement deletes contract articles regarding leaves of absence, seniority, evaluations, severance pay, insurance and a dues deduction form, all of which are excluded from bargaining under the new law. The board and negotiations team also agreed to remove sections of or alter classifications in three more articles.

The Labor Management Committee was proposed during the April 19 meeting by the support staff negotiations team. The committee is intended to discuss issues that can no longer be discussed during contract negotiations, a support staff representative told the Press at the time. The district administrative team initially resisted including the committee in a contract because they believed it could be accomplished “in other avenues,” Superintendent Dr. Dan Cox told the Press.