New Teacher Contract Signed With ASD
Armstrong School Board Solicitor Lee Price (right) explains details of the new collective bargaining agreement with teachers and administrators last night.
by Jonathan Weaver
School directors last night unanimously voted to approve a five-year collective bargaining agreement with the Armstrong Education Association union.
School District Solicitor Lee Price said the contract – which includes a 1.5-1.6 percent wage increase and a change in health care coverage - becomes effective July 1 through June 30, 2021.
“The big part of it is they’ve agreed to change our health plan. The savings between our current plan and our new plan – teachers only – is $447,676,” Price said. “We’ll have additional savings because we have some employees who automatically do what the teachers do.
“We had a number of sessions. Quite a bit of time was spent on moving to a new health program. Both sides realized, as in the case of most places, health insurance no matter what seems like it just keeps going up, so we went to a very different plan and I believe we’re the first ones in this county to go to it.”
As part of the new health plan, employees can only visit particular in-network doctors and hospitals – such as Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, the Hillman Cancer Center and Allegheny General Hospital.
“The staff, I think, reviewed it several times and I think they realized there were a sufficient pool of medical providers,” Price said.
During the first year of the contract, Armstrong School District’s payroll is expected to drop by $125,000 despite the pay increase.
School Directors Tim Scaife and James Rearic were absent from the meeting.
A representative for the Armstrong Education Association at last night’s meeting said officials decided not to comment on the agreement.
An estimated-415 teachers not including administrators are affected by the new contract.
Retirees will also have to switch to the new plan.
Only administrators were part of the bargaining team.
A tentative agreement was made before Thursday’s open caucus session after a majority of teachers voted in-favor of the agreement early last week.
School Board President Joseph Close said the process was “really smooth.”
“We got a great staff that works for us. When you’re on the same page, it doesn’t take much,” Close said.
The seven present school directors did not vote on a motion regarding a cutback regarding Lenape Technical School education as was preliminarily discussed last week.
Local Resident Jorn Jensen of Worthington questioned why school directors feel we can cut back on the part-time program or possibly donate the parking lot of the former-Kittanning Junior High School in Kittanning Borough to the Armstrong County Historical Museum and Genealogical Society while affording Astroturf on sports fields at the new Armstrong Junior/Senior High School in Manor Township.
Close defended the actions of the school board and invited Jensen to formally discuss the matter when either item is on the regular meeting agenda.
The new agreement was unanimously signed by ASD school directors, although two were absent from Monday night’s meeting.
Armstrong School District | jweaver April 12, 2016
By Rainbow Rider, April 29, 2016 @ 12:51 AM
So, jenny is making a fuss about Joe Close and others voting on things that will affect their own household income and he is exactly right. They should abstain.
Now jenny, tell us how this is different than you running for commissioner just so you could change clean and green back to how it was so you could lower your own taxes??!!
By jorn jensen, April 29, 2016 @ 8:37 AM
There you go, worthingtonman, you won’t discuss the issues - just attack the presenter. What about the super and assistant super while retaining 4 principals when principal should be a progression step to assistant super or super. What about the theory that we can’t afford 10th grade 1/2 day Lenape, but we can afford Astro Turf and giving away taxable property? Perhaps you should read wonderwhy’s comment on the article ASD Fund Balance Eliminates Need for Tax Increase, April 28, 8:02 AM. Or, read Rainbow Rider’s comment, above, in this thread, April 29, 12:51 AM. Worthingtonman, you are pathetic.
Rainbow Rider - I ran to lower taxes for all taxpayers, and to bring in business and industry - you know, jobs. Jobs that can support necessary taxes.
“just so you could change clean and green back to how it was so you could lower your own taxes??!!” Do you really think a person would run on a single issue like that? Are you for real? The first thing I’d have done is hold to the 19 million previous budget and then study every department, every one of the 600 county jobs and look where to cut in order to meet the old budget. Figure, average, with benes, $100k per employee. The difference between $21mm and $19mm would be 20 employees, and a selection of cut-out personal use of county vehicles. I’d throw Pictometry out and tell the ‘on the payroll’ assessors to go out and do their job.
Kudos to the commissioners - they are following through on George Skamai’s one campaign topic - county employee personal use of county vehicles. Selling the vehicles off - good job. Could have gotten more money by selling them off individually, but, getting rid of them = good job. The cost to run that one ton Ford up and down route 28, daily, needs to stop also.
By worthingtonman, April 29, 2016 @ 6:42 PM
So the most disliked man on the Kittanning Paper Message Board finds me Pathetic. Dont worry Jensen, you won’t have to dip into your wallet anymore this year. Maybe you can use your saved dollars to clean up that junkyard you got going over at your place! Oh wait I forgot that was your retirement Plan. I hope you are impressed with it because I know your neighbors are not. Remember Jensen I told you before there is alot more to life than money. You got plenty, I got plenty let’s all be happy. Our duly elected officials are taking care of business for us. Kick back and don’t waste no more money on any political campaigns, because that is what it will be…. a waste of money.
By Marc, May 2, 2016 @ 9:42 AM
Jensen- Didn’t you call all of the residents/ taxpayers of Armstrong County backwards? Didn’t you try to politicize the deaths of residents on here? You do very little to make us think you care about anyone other than yourself.
By sickofpayingforit, May 2, 2016 @ 5:08 PM
Wman-
I have plenty of money too. I still don’t want to give a penny more than absolutely necessary away. Personal wealth is irrelevant when doing ones duty and questioning leadership who is spending public monies.
By jorn jensen, May 3, 2016 @ 7:11 AM
Yes, worthingtonman, you are pathetic. You are unable to debate the facts regarding the actions of the ASD school board, so you attack the presenter of the facts. Right out of the liberals’ playbook. You are pathetic.
By blutoblutarsky, May 3, 2016 @ 8:07 AM
Worthingtonman-
Only receiving 200 votes more than the guy that sued Armstrong County is what I’d call pathetic! Obviously nobody is overly impressed with joan.
By localtaxpayer, May 3, 2016 @ 4:46 PM
Ford City’s stupidity even made national news in a really bad way. And this is how we expect to bring industries and businesses into this community. I don’t think so.
By jorn jensen, May 4, 2016 @ 8:29 AM
Yes, localtaxpayer, this area seems to have a knack for making it to the negative news - the Wal*Mart arson made international news. People bury their heads on the $580,000 debt in Fjord City. We’re on the map.
It will take the commissioners, 3 promising young guys, to get involved with state legislators, to turn things around. Armstrong County CAN be Great Again - we need to stand out in a positive light, be inviting to business and industry, and it can happen.
By worthingtonman, May 4, 2016 @ 11:15 PM
@jensen
Unable and unwilling are two different terms. I am unwilling to debate just about anything with a blow hard loser. Your unpopularity soars with every blow hard post you make. The only thing I will do is defend the character of my friends and associates. So as my daughter would say ….bye Felicia!
By jorn jensen, May 5, 2016 @ 8:06 AM
One thing for sure worthingtonman, if I run for school board and am elected, there will be no more stealth stuff. I will make school board plans and actions public - so that the taxpayer knows what they are up against and can have input.
By Marc, May 5, 2016 @ 1:20 PM
@worthingtonman- It’s impossible to debate the loser because if things don’t go his way he claims to “not read” your posts anymore. Jorn is a piece of garbage. There’s no other way to put it.
The bye Felicia comment was pretty good…