By David Fleet
Editor
Goodrich-On Monday night the school board of trustees voted 7-0 to approve a two year contract with the Goodrich Education Association, following a 50 minute closed session meeting.
School board president Greg Main and the board declined comment following the meeting. In April the school district and the GEA reached a tentative agreement on wages and contract language for the 2019-20 school year.

Marty Zmiejko, Uniserv Director for the Michigan Education Association, who represented the 100 district teachers that comprise the Goodrich Education Association said the agreement process was very collaborate.
“The negotiations were less adversarial than other years,” said Zmiejko. “The salary structure for teachers was restructured.”
In the first year of the agreement, salary step 0 and 0.5 are eliminated and a salary step 11 is added calculated by adding a 2 percent pay increase to step 10. A salary step is an increase in salary based on experience. A one step movement for all teachers on steps. An additional half step for anyone not at his or her appropriate step (for teachers who were frozen at some point).
In year two of the agreement, one salary step movement for all teachers on steps. An additional half step for anyone not at his or her appropriate step. The 11th step in the salary schedule will receive a 2 percent increase. Step 10 numbers to the existing 11 numbers.
During the 2017-18 school year teachers received a slight pay increase. Eligible teachers received a step increase and those who had maximized their steps received a bonus of $500.
Mike Yelland, is a high school social studies teacher who was hired by the district in 2006 addressed the board.
“Next month I’m going to start my 14th year at Goodrich,” said Yelland, prior to the vote on Monday night. “I’ve seen seven superintendents come and go for a host of different reasons, I completed a master’s degree and an additional 30 credit hours during my first five years, doing everything in my power to be the best teacher I could be. Also during that time, I’ve been pink slipped four times and had my pay frozen a few times as well. I’m currently on step 8 1/2 on the pay scale after 13 years. When I heard the board was going to be voting on tentative agreement which includes getting the hand full of teachers, who like me, are suffering from being frozen, I wanted to come tonight and give thanks. It’s been frustrating in the past figuring out the math and coming to the understanding I’ve worked for more than a year for free here at Goodrich.”