(Atlantic) The Atlantic Community School District Non-Certified Staff Collective Bargaining Unit proposed a four-percent raise for all individual non-certified staff at the opening round of negotiation with the Atlantic Board of Education.
Denise Masker, Non-certified staff President requested the proposal, including re-opening the current year’s contract.
The Non-Certified staff includes food service, custodians, para’s, secretaries, and the Transportation Department.
Masker compared the bus driver’s salaries to other districts. She mentions Griswold, CAM, Riverside, Audubon, and Exira/EHK are starting at $23.00 per hour. Masker says the Atlantic drivers receive a starting salary of $17.45, with a top salary after twenty years of $20.25.
Additionally, the drivers are asking to include the wait time payment the same as the drive time payment.
With the association proposal of a 4% increase, it would result in the following base wages:
- Custodian head Maintenance: $18.22
- Custodian Night: $17.28
- Custodian Day: $17.18
- Custodian Specials/Grounds: $17.44
- Bus Assistant Mechanic: $18.22
- Bus Route Driver: $18.15
- Bus Activity Drivers: $18.15
- Bus Activity Waiting: $12.22
- Para S&P (BD): $16.16
- Para Class 1 (Certified): $15.69
- Para Class 2 (Non-Cert): $15.23
- Secretary Attend/Guidance: $15.49
- Secretary Bldg.: $16.52
- Cafeteria Head Cook: $16.08
- Cafeteria Bus Driver: $16.95
- Cafeteria Assistant: $14.32
The Atlantic Board of Education countered with a proposal of an overall 3.07% total package increase, for a grand total of $103,708.
The Board proposed a $0.30 increase for the base wage for each category. This would result in the following base wages:
- Custodian head Maintenance: $17.82
- Custodian Night: $16.92
- Custodian Day: $16.82
- Custodian Specials/Grounds: $17.07
- Bus Assistant Mechanic: $17.82
- Bus Route Driver: $17.75
- Para S&P (BD): $15.84
- Para Class 1 (Certified): $15.39
- Para Class 2 (Non-Cert): $14.94
- Secretary Attend/Guidance: $15.19
- Secretary Bldg.: $16.18
- Cafeteria Head Cook: $15.76
- Cafeteria Bus Driver: $16.60
- Cafeteria Assistant: $14.07
The Board proposes deleting the existing category of “Bus Activity Drivers” and replacing it with the new category “Car/Suburban Drivers” with a base wage of $17.00. This will cover any position/route requiring a Class D: Chauffeur License. The Board also proposes adding a category “Bus Monitor” with a base rate of $14.94. In addition, the board proposes a $0.50 hourly wage increase to all employees except those in the “Bus Route Driver,” who will receive an hourly wage increase of $0.80.
The next negotiation meetings will be held in closed sessions.
