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State of Luzerne County employee pension fund discussed

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Braves 1 win from WS after 10-2 win over Dodgers

NANTICOKE &mdash; The Greater Nanticoke Area School Board approved a contract with the support staff union &mdash; representing about 150 secretarial, custodian, maintenance. cafeteria and paraprofessional staff &mdash; through June 30, 2024. But it drew immediate rebuke.
				Board President Tony Prushinski voted against the contract, citing the many years some of the staff have worked for the district and saying he wanted it to be more generous. &ldquo;We could have been a little more helpful.&rdquo;
				Other board members, particularly Ken James, agreed in voting no.
				Several union members criticized the negotiation process. Marge Womelsdorf said the union negotiating committee did not get to meet with school board members, with only the union president and vice president and a union negotiator working on the deal. She also questioned why the union had to vote on the contract with so little information about the process.
				Joan Wall criticized the size of the raises in the contract &mdash; 50 cents per hour the first two years, 60 cents the third year and 65 cents the fourth year. She complained that despite working more than two decades in the district, and working hard every day, the annual raises for the first two years remained the same as the previous year.
				Solicitor Vito DeLuca advised board members and Superintendent Ron Grevera to limit comments. &ldquo;All the board knew was that a majority of the union ratified a proposal. On my recommendation they are not making comments. We cannot control how you do things.&rdquo;
				The board also agreed to have AE7 conduct a football stadium feasibility study at a cost not to exceed $6,500. After the meeting Grevera said the district has grant money for upgrades, and the study will determine how best to spend that money.
				The board approved the purchase of 24 Promethean ActivPanel Interactive displays &mdash; hi-tech white boards &mdash; from CDW-G for $47,171. Grevera said that will be paid with federal COVID-19 relief grant money.
				And the board voted to name the new softball/little league field the &ldquo;Terry E. Havens Field,&rdquo; in honor of a man James praised for his support of the district, the city, and the youngsters who played softball and Little League.

Greater Nanticoke Area approves support staff contract, with dissent