Glenwood School District
Workers Win Contract
With 'Gains Not Givebacks!'
GLENWOOD, Iowa
Local 865 members fought hard and successfully for a
contract with wage and benefit gains exceeding the Glenwood School Districts
3.2 percent allowable growth. With the school district experiencing about half
of its usual projected budget growth, the administration began negotiations
with a proposal for ten-cent pay increases and deep cuts in insurance
coverage.
The teacher associates, custodians and food service workers
who constitute this UE local union united behind their negotiating committee
in a struggle to make their new contract one of gains, not givebacks. Their
determination came across strongly, as the school district quickly abandoned
the proposals to strip insurance coverage.
The new two-year contract contains a 25-cent wage increase
July 1 and $10 per month increase in the employer contribution to family
insurance coverage. Wages and insurance for the following year will be
negotiated next spring, when it is expected that the district will be growing
again, and will therefore have more money.
CONTRACT LANGUAGE IMPROVEMENTS
The agreement contains many significant improvements in
contract language. Most important, part-time employees will now receive
personal leave, formerly restricted to full-time employees. This is a signal
advance for part-timers, who do not yet have vacation days available to them.
Also bereavement leave will increase from three to four days per occurrence.
Overall, the new contract reflects a 4.2 percent package
increase, a full point higher than the districts "new money." The
rallying cry of "gains, not givebacks" paid off with the
ratification of the settlement on May 15.
The Local 865 negotiating committee consisted of Wes Hunt,
Kim Chambers, Jeannie Wagner, Gene Sheets, Karen Schoening and Margaret
Crawley. The alternate was Karen Davis. They were assisted by past
president Patti Briels and Field Org. Don Taylor.
UE News - 06/99
