Hopatcong Schools, Aides Reach Agreement

The Board of Education and the Hopatcong Education Association unit that represents teacher aides, custodians and  support staff  reached an agreement in principal on a new contract, board member Richard Lavery said Monday.

According to Lavery, the potential pact was reached Monday afternoon and could ended a bitter three-year contract fight.

In February the board accepted the findings of the state mediator brought in to settle the  contract.

In December, the negotiations led to public accusations of  board disrespect  for the aides.

Contracts for teachers in the same union  took effect  in September but a dispute over language regarding new health benefits led to pickets lines at board meetings and student complaints that letters of recommendation  for college admission were being delayed.

Last summer when the contract dispute over the health benefits language surfaced, Lundin the union had been seeking a $1.60 per hour increase for the aides. The board offered  95 cents per hour, he said.

Teachers aides make “$10-plus” an hour and custodians make “$9-plus” an hour, Lundin said at the time.

No details about the agreement will be released until it is approved by both parties, Lavery said, but Board president Clifford Lundin said the agreement would run till the end of 2014, bringing it in line with the end of the district’s other teacher contracts.

The union leaders will take the agreement back to the 80 aides and 40 custodians and other members of the unit for review and ratification, Lavery said.  If ratified, the agreement will come back to the board for its approval.