Teachers’ contract approved

Agreement reached on new multi-year deal

The North Penn School Board approved a new, four-year teachers’ contract in an 8-0 vote during its meeting Thursday night. Board member John Schilling was absent.

The North Penn Education Association (NPEA) voted to approve the agreement earlier Thursday.

The district and the union announced at the end of August that a tentative agreement had been reached after several months of negotiations.

The contract covers nearly 1,000 employees who are represented by NPEA, including classroom teachers, special area teachers, speech clinicians, school nurses and special education teachers. Prior to the new agreement, the teachers were working under a one-year extended contract with the district, which

ended June 30, 2017.

A press release posted on the North Penn School District’s website lists the following details:

“The agreement includes a 1.3 percent base [pay] increase in the first year (2.97 percent when accounting for step movement on the 18th pay); a 1.2 percent base increase in the second year (2.98 percent when accounting for step movement on the 21st pay); a 1.6 percent base increase in the third year (3.04 percent when accounting for step movement); and a 1.3 percent base increase the last year of the contract (2.88 percent when accounting

for step movement on the first pay).

“The North Penn Educational Support Professionals Association (NPESPA) agreed to a three-year contract that will expire June 30, 2020. NPESPA is comprised of 423 employees in various support positions including secretaries, classroom assistants, technology assistants, staff nurses and specialists. The agreement includes a 2.0 percent base increase in year one (2.74 percent when accounting for step movement); a 2.25 percent base increase in year two (2.89 percent when accounting for step movement); and a 2.5 percent base increase in year three (3.03 percent when accounting for step movement).

“The contract also calls

for an increased premium share from NPEA and NPESPA members in 201819 moving from the current 16 percent to 17 percent for the remainder of both contracts,” the release states.

NPEA President Sean Devlin thanked both sides — labor and management — for their efforts in reaching an agreement.

“I believe that it was a fair contract; I think both sides feel it was fair,” Devlin said in a phone interview Thursday evening after the board vote.

“My hat’s off to the union reps and our labor attorney and the administration for sticking with it and dealing with hard issues and compromising where we have to,” school board member Tim Kerr — leader of the board’s negotiations committee

— said Friday morning.

Both Kerr and Devlin expressed relief that the contract will be in place for multiple years — “Four years of labor peace,” Devlin said.

“There is stability over the next few years for everyone — taxpayers included,” Kerr said.

“It’s a responsible contract,” Kerr continued. “We have a fair medical plan that will help with corralling some [health care] costs . ... The salary increase is warranted, and instead of an annual step, we’ve stretched them out.

“It’s a responsible and fair deal for all concerned and gets our district back to what we need to do, which is educate our kids,” Kerr said.