After setting out last year to make the necessary health insurance changes in order to give employees pay raises, Oxford Schools finally achieved its goal.
With a health insurance savings of $750,000 to date, the Oxford School Board approved salary increases for three of its employee groups at the June 24 meeting.
In three separate motions, the board unanimously approved benefit changes and 3 percent salary increases for the Oxford Educational Support Association (OESPA), along with At-Will employees beginning July 1, 2016 through June 30, 2016, as well as benefit changes and corresponding step increases for the Oxford Education Association (OEA) from August 1, 2015 through June 30, 2017.
OESPA employees are secretaries, paraprofessionals and technology specialists. At-Will consists of central office administrators and instructional coaches. OEA is the teachers union.
Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Nancy Latowski told the board she will be bringing a motion from the AFSCME (American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees) union, which is comprised of bus drivers and food service employees, at the next meeting.
‘We’re still working through (negotiations) with the OAA (Oxford Administrative Association),? she told this reporter. ‘But they’ve confirmed, they will approve it as well.?
‘When you look at our total salary/benefit cost, as a percent of our overall budget, it’s around 80 percent and we want to keep (it) in that range,? said Superintendent Tim Throne. ‘We just wanted to reappropriate that 80 percent so more (of that percentage) was going towards salaries and less for benefits.?
Throne noted the other part of their goal was to provide similar to the same type of competitive benefit package that employees were used to, which included not only medical insurance, but eyecare, dental and life insurance.
Latowski, who’s been in negotiations with all the groups, believes it’s been a good process.
‘The nice thing about the whole process is that we worked with the employees,? she added. ‘Obviously, healthcare is a very personal issue. It is something that people value highly and it’s a benefit that is a valuable benefit.?
The only hiccup to the process was one employee group was being asked to switch from HMO coverage to a PPO.
‘It’s been a learning curve for a lot of employees, but I think it’s a good thing and will be a positive thing,? she said. ‘It’s just change is sometimes very hard, but most employees understand what the goal was.?
When asked how he felt, Throne said he is ‘ecstatic (to be) in a position to not have (to make) layoffs, but be able to give raises to our employees.?
‘There are layoffs and still cutbacks (happening) in a ton of districts, (but) because of the direction of the board and district leadership, we’re not in that position,? he added. ‘I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. That’s huge to be able to tell an employee that not only are you getting a raise this year, but we’re also guaranteeing a raise next year and we value them.?