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Clarenceville OKs pact with staff; Observer-August 15, 2010
Topic Started: Aug 15 2010, 09:50 PM (264 Views)
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Clarenceville OKs pact with staff
Bus drivers, food service won't be privatized
By Karen Smith • OBSERVER STAFF WRITER • August 15, 2010

The Clarenceville school board won't be privatizing its transportation, food service and maintenance departments for at least the next two years.

The board approved a concessionary contract Thursday for the district's 27 employees represented by the Clarenceville Michigan Educational Support Personnel Association (CMESPA). The two-year agreement is expected to save the district $250,000.
In July, the board privatized its custodial staff, awarding a contract to D.M. Burr of Flint, the lowest of nine bidders, in an effort to save $1.2 million over three years. Ten custodians were laid off July 31. They were also members of the CMESPA.

Administrators began preparing a request for proposals for outsourcing the district's transportation department next.
The board recently adopted a $19.1 million budget for the 2010-11 school year, with a projected deficit of $852,000. The district has 1,800 students.

“The board is very happy we were able to reach a settlement with the group,” Assistant Supt. Dave Bergeron said. “Once we sat down ... it was very quick negotiations. We were able to come up with the agreement prior to finalizing (the RFP for bus drivers.)”
The contract was approved 6-0. Board Secretary Mark Garrison was absent from the meeting.

The contract includes 10- to 12-percent reductions in hourly rates and days paid. In addition, it calls for a $200 reduction in the cap on the monthly insurance premium the district will pay for each employee, bringing it down to $867 for full-time employees and $369 for part-time employees. Also, future employees will only be able to get single health care coverage.

Kim Edwards, an executive director of the Michigan Education Association, of which CMESPA is affiliated, said, “It was definitely a concessionary contract.” She said she was thankful the district worked with the employees.

The two-year agreement means their jobs should be saved for at least that long, Edwards said.
The CMESPA's most recent contract with the district expired June 30.
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Bergeron said the district had attempted to negotiate with CMESPA earlier this year, but the two sides didn't begin traditional bargaining until July 21. The association offered two concessionary proposals for all its members June 23 and July 7, the day before the board voted to privatize custodial services, he said.


Bergeron said school districts realize the greatest savings in privatizing custodial services. “I don't think the district would have experienced the same level of savings (through concessions for the custodians),” he said.
Meanwhile, Robert Marx, husband of one of the laid-off custodians, submitted a petition Thursday to the board, demanding it reverse its decision to outsource custodial services for the safety of children and the cleanliness of the buildings. He said the petition had about 400 signatures. “For what good it did, I don't know,” he said.

Supt. Pam Swert said the board will review the petition.

ksmith@hometownlife.com | (313) 222-2098


http://www.hometownlife.com/article/20100815/NEWS16/8150465/1027/rss18
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