TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Highlands Today

School Support Contract Has Critics

ADVERTISEMENT

By MARC VALERO | Highlands Today

Published: November 28, 2007

SEBRING — One school bus driver hopes the district's support workers vote down the tentative contract agreement Sunday so a better salary increase can be negotiated.

According to the School Board of Highlands County, the tentative agreement reached Nov. 9 calls for an average salary increase of 4 percent and a total salary and benefit package increase of 5.86 percent.

According to the tentative agreement, each pay step will increase by 2 percent. Each year everyone moves up a step, except the senior employees, who have reached the top pay step.

About one-third of the 700 support staff are at the top of the salary schedule and will be getting a 2 percent raise.

"When we vote on our contract, we are voting on a 2 percent increase — period," said Mary Hein, a bus driver. "We are not voting on 4 percent. It would be nice if they increased my step by 4 percent, but they are not."

The substitute drivers would only get a 2 percent raise because their pay is solely based on hourly salary, she said.

Union President Tim Hollis did not return numerous messages left for him.

Michel Bernier, the chief negotiator for the Highlands County Educational Support Personnel Association, also believes the tentative contract's salary increase falls short.

Bernier, based in Punta Gorda, is a Florida Education Association service unit director.

"Our team made it clear to the district that we didn't like it; we didn't think it was a sufficient offer and to just clear it all up," he said. "What the district characterizes as a 5.83 percent increase is a 2 percent increase on the salary schedule."

An employee who moves up a step would get an additional 2 percent for a total of 4 percent, however about one-third of the 700 support staff are not on steps any more — they're at the top of the salary schedule — so they are looking at a 2 percent raise, Bernier explained.

People at the beginning of the salary schedule ($8.16 per hour) would get a 16 cents an hour wage increase, he said. "That 16 cents doesn't go far compared to administrators who got a 3 percent raise on $80,000 salaries and they're getting $2,400 pay increases and our guys are looking at pocket change — a few hundred bucks.

"I've heard the complaints from a lot of folks. We've got an eight-member bargaining team and I would be surprised ... if very many of them vote to ratify this thing."

Hein said the bus drivers have talked about the driver shortage, yet the school district doesn't follow through with some of the things they say they are going to do.

The school district is a good employer with excellent benefits, but the pay should be improved, she said. Driving a school bus is a very stressful job.

There will be an informational meeting about the tentative contract at 1 p.m., Sunday, in the Sebring High School Smith Center. Support personnel will vote on the contract following the meeting at 2 p.m.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT