Wilkes-Barre says company’s bankruptcy not affecting code inspections

web1_Toohil_Tarah.jpg

State Rep. Toohil: Mobile Veterans Center to visit Hazleton

WRIGHT TWP. &#8212; Crestwood School District teachers will get an average annual raise of 2.89 percent but will also pay a progressively larger share of their health insurance premiums under terms of a new contract made public Thursday.The school board approved the contract at an Oct. 15 meeting and the union ratified it a short time later, but both sides declined to release details at the time. The five-year contract runs from this school year through 2019-20, replacing a deal that expired in August.Teachers get raises of 2.75 percent the first two years, 2.95 percent the third year, and 3 percent the last two years. The percentage of insurance premium they pay will remain 4 percent this year but rise every year afterward: to 4.25 percent, 4.5 percent, 5 percent and 6 percent.The new deal also changes the health insurance waiver, the amount a teacher gets in return for not accepting district-paid coverage. Teachers have been getting 46 percent of the premium in exchange for declining coverage, but that will change to a flat dollar amount: $1,500 for a person eligible for single coverage or $5,000 for family coverage.And the contract increases co-pays for doctor visits, emergency room visits, and prescription drugs.Board member Gene Mancini, one of the lead negotiators in the deal, said the changes in co-pays may lower the total premium cost by as much as 5 percent. He also credited the union negotiators for working with the district in making the changes.&#8220;We did it with their help. They were the ones driving a lot of it.&#8221;Other changes were made, including removing some obsolete sections from the old contract and clarifying some rights for both sides, but those details still aren&#8217;t available. It is common for the two sides in such discussions to settle on key points while leaving final language to be worked out later.In a one-page recap of key contract terms, the district promised to post the complete contract online &#8220;as soon as possible.&#8221;Noting this was his third and likely last teacher contract negotiation because he is leaving the board at the end of his term this year, Mancini said the deal showed how two sides can avoid public disagreements and strikes by working toward the same goal.&#8220;We&#8217;ve got to negotiate with each other knowing we&#8217;ve got to live with the contract,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I think this is a good agreement for both sides.&#8221;Virginia Cowley, the Pennsylvania State Education Association UniServ representative for the district, said the local union team did most of the negotiating and deserved the credit. She agreed the deal was good for all involved. &#8220;Both sides worked well together, and labor relations are good for the Crestwood teachers.&#8221;Union President Carolyn Boone said she was &#8220;very pleased we reached a settlement.&#8220;Negotiations had been going on for a little over a year, they had been slowly progressive,&#8221; Boone said. &#8220;I don&#8217;t feel we ever took a step backwards. I think both sides gave a little bit.&#8221;When the final deal was presented for union ratification, &#8220;It was overwhelmingly accepted,&#8221; she added.<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta>By Mark Guydishmguydish@www.timesleader.com</bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta>Reach Mark Guydish at 570-991-6112 or on Twitter @TLMarkGuydish</shirttailMeta></div>

Teachers get annual raises, pay more for insurance in new Crestwood contract