Schools

Sweetwater, Employees Union Reach Three-Year Tentative Agreement

The deal between the school district and the CSEA includes higher salaries and lower health benefit costs.

The Sweetwater Union High School District and the union representing its classified employees reached a three-year tentative agreement Thursday that includes salary increases and health benefits, according to a district official.

Negotiators for the district and the California School Employees Association (CSEA) union agreed to wage enhancements that would provide a 1.56 percent increase at the beginning of the year, and going up 1.80 percent mid-year, and 2.20 percent July 1, 2015.

The second key proposal lowers health benefit costs for single payer and two payer employees. If approved, nearly half the eligible unit members will contribute significantly less than what they are currently pay, or nothing at all, the district said. 

Just last month, trustees stopped the Oct. 21 board meeting after about 30 minutes when hundreds of district employees upset about recent changes that would require teachers and staff to pay more for medical insurance made their way into the meeting. 

The tentative agreement has yet to be finalized. CSEA members will vote on whether to ratify the contract Nov. 15, and the board of trustees will consider approving the deal at its Nov. 18 meeting.

“Sweetwater classified employees have always done a remarkable job on behalf of educating students in the Sweetwater District,” Board President Jim Cartmill said in a statement. “The Sweetwater Management team is appreciative of all the hard work and dedication classified staff have poured into the district. The Sweetwater District takes pride in providing state of the art education to students in the South Bay and thanks classified employees for all of their contributions in doing so.” 


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