Toledo school administrators ratify union contract

TAAP president Don Yates said the union understands they have to be a part of the solution to the district's financial problems.

Toledo’s school administrators overwhelmingly ratified Wednesday a tentative agreement with the district, accepting salary and health-care concessions that mirror those accepted last week by the teachers’ union.

Members of the Toledo Association of Administrative Personnel agreed to a two-year contract that will continue a previous 1 percent pay cut, reduce pay an additional 2.5 percent, freeze automatic longevity pay raises, increase the share administrators pay for their health insurance, and eliminates 34 positions, union president Don Yates said. Union leadership endorsed ratification of the agreement.

“It’s tough economic times for the city of Toledo, and tough economic times for school districts in the state of Ohio,” Mr. Yates said. “Our folks get that we have to be a part of the solution.”

The administrators’ reached agreement with Toledo Public Schools last week, just days after the teachers’ union accepted a fact finder’s report. The Board of Education — which also accepted the fact finder’s report last week — will likely call a special meeting to vote on the TAAP agreement early next week, district spokeswoman Patricia Mazur said.

TAAP represents the district’s principals, counselors, and other non-teaching professionals. After the position cuts, there are about 270 members in the union. Mr. Yates said the district will save about $3.5 million by eliminating the 34 TAAP positions.

“It was probably the best we could have expected,” TAAP member Gayle Schaber said after the union vote at Woodward High School.

The administrators’ union also agreed to some contract language changes that would provide the district some flexibility with transfers into open positions, Mr. Yates said. A copy of the agreement was not publicly available Wednesday.

The district now only has one union without a contract. Negotiations with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, are still ongoing, district officials said.

AFSCME represents bus drivers, food service workers, secretaries, skilled trades employees, and custodians. The contract for AFSCME members ended June 30; employees will keep working under the old contract until a new one is signed.

The district is seeking similar financial concessions from the union as it got from TAAP and the Toledo Federation of Teachers, superintendent Jerome Pecko said last week.

Contact Nolan Rosenkrans at:

nrosenkrans@theblade.com

or 419-724-6086.