The Owen J. Roberts Board of School Directors, during its regular school board meeting held on June 20, 2022, approved a new contract with the Roberts Education Association. The current contract is due to expire on June 30, 2022; therefore, the new five-year contract will be effective July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2027.
With consideration for student success at the forefront of all efforts, both parties have worked diligently since January to address economic and non-economic issues within the Collective Bargaining Agreement. The contract settlement comes after several months of formal and informal negotiations between the parties’ negotiating teams.
According to an official district statement: “The School Board focused on contract goals that provided for cost containments while ensuring that the District is able to attract the best professional talent to the District. In response to the new normal in education delivery following the pandemic, the District and the Association collaborated on cyber programming that will make the District competitive in the everchanging cyber school marketplace by continuing to offer cyber/online programs that provide a high-quality, personalized, and flexible education that meets the needs of our students and families.”
According to Paul Friel, school board president and negotiation team member, “The Board of School Directors is grateful to the administration and the Roberts Education Association for reaching an agreement that balances taxpayer and student interests and creates a competitive contract which will allow us to attract and retain a highly talented professional staff.”
Karin Suzadail, chief negotiator for the Roberts Education Association, stated, “The teachers and student service professionals of the Roberts Education Association have worked incredibly hard over the past two years to provide a consistent and supportive learning environment for the students with whom we work. We are pleased that the District and the Association have settled on a contract that recognizes the dedication that we have toward our profession.”
While pension and healthcare obligations have and will continue to increase, the average net increase of this contract over the five-year period is below the current rate of inflation and the Act 1 Index level of 3.4%, with a net average cost of less than 2.8%.
With contract negotiations complete, both the members of the Roberts Education Association and the District will focus on their mission of instruction and growth of all students without the concern of labor unrest.
A complete copy of the new collective bargaining agreement can be found on the District’s website.
