Dr. Janet Samuels said the Harrisburg School District accepts the terms of the new collective agreement with the Harrisburg Education Association. Photo: Jana Benscoter “We strongly believe that this agreement is an important step in the process of rebuilding the district,” Samuels said in a statement. We are very grateful to the union leaders for their cooperation on the common goal of providing the best possible education for the children of this school district. The agreement aims to correct pay gaps, allow the district to offer competitive packages to new teachers, and address concerns about health and prescription performance. It`s also about addressing issues related to the county`s hiring practices and wage freeze, which began in 2014. The teachers had been working in the language of the previous contract for a year and a half. When asked for their approval at Tuesday`s county council meeting, District Administrator Dr. Janet Samuels replied, “Absolutely, yes.” Acting Superintendent Chris Celmer said he was grateful that the HEA worked with the district in “good faith.” He said the act of approving the treaty meant that “better days lie ahead.” Teachers in the Harrisburg School District will receive a 1 percent increase in their salary in March, as well as a retroactive lump sum payment based on the collective agreement with the Harrisburg Education Association. Prior to the conclusion of the current agreement, the teachers were working under the terms of their previous contract, which expired on June 30, 2018. “We are very satisfied,” Samuels said. “We appreciate the cooperation of HEA`s management. The agreement is a crucial step in stabilizing the day-to-day operations of the school district.
We look forward to moving forward with our teachers. HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) – The Harrisburg School District and the Harrisburg Education Association have reached a long-awaited three-year agreement as teachers work on a contract that expired in June 2018. However, in recent years, the danger of a state takeover of the district has become evident. Now that the dust has settled, HEA President Jody Barksdale said she was optimistic that relations between the two sides would only improve. 107494114_3_harrisburg School District – 2018-2021 PennLive`s Hea Collective Bargaining Agreement-c1 on Scribd HEA President Jody Barksdale agrees, saying the contract “puts the county on track to achieve a balanced budget” and is a “down payment for the possibility of a better future.” The union met with district officials three times, with feelings from union members ranging from hopeful to disappointed to very satisfied, Barksdale said. The commitment to rehabilitate the district`s finances is evident in the work administrators have done to present the new contract, she continued. During the years-long negotiation process, teachers have already been asked to repay part of their salaries.
And the union, which called for measures to ensure teachers don`t leave Harrisburg, forced the former government to the table. The district avoided a one-day strike in May 2019. The new contract, which aims to align teachers` salaries with current educational standards, expires on 1 July 2018 and runs until 30 June 2021. According to the contract, there will be no retroactive payment going back to 2018-2019. “[The new government] came to the table with an open mind and said, `Look, this is what we have, this is what we need to do, how can we get a contract,` so we can know that hopefully you are moving forward, that you are keeping teachers, that you may be able to prevent people from leaving and, hopefully, you can do it. You know, make Harrisburg a little more worthy to come and teach. The educational association approved the contract on Wednesday afternoon. District receiver Janet Samuels is expected to sign it at the next public meeting on Feb. 18. “We see this as a down payment for our future,” Barksdale said.
“And I hope they have a balanced budget because they have the numbers under control. They know where the revenue comes from. So we can`t wait to get back to the table in January to get our next contract off the ground. ».