Public Relations > News: Contract Negotiations > Agreement Reached with Secretaries and Support Personnel

The Souderton Area School District has reached an agreement with the collective bargaining units representing approximately 50 secretaries and 150 aides. Wages and benefits were the two major issues for the Souderton Area Educational Support Personnel Association and the Souderton Area Secretaries' Association.

The new two-year agreement provides an average hourly increase of 3.75 percent during the first year and 3.80 the second year for secretaries. Hourly wage increases will average $.54 per hour.

Aides will receive an average hourly increase of 3.97 percent for each of the two years averaging $.45 per hour.

The terms of both contracts expire June 30, 2010.

Effective July 1, 2009, ten-month secretaries and aides who work seven or more hours per day and at least 170 day per school year will now be entitled to participate in the district's standard health care plan for single employee benefits with the employee contributing 10% of the health care premium.

SASD board president Bernard S. Currie said, "I am pleased that we have reached tentative agreements with our secretaries and support staff personnel. The agreements provide for access to health care insurance not available before. Together with the wage increases, the total compensation settlement is within the guidelines the Board set out to achieve. These facts make the settlement a win - win. That is what compromise and negotiations are about."