UE Local 222, which represents a wide variety of school and municipal workers throughout the state of Connecticut, settled a number of contracts this spring.

Sublocal 80 has negotiated a new contract covering custodians, administrative assistants and food service workers who work for the Woodbridge Board of Education.

Administrative assistants will see an overall wage increase of 7.16 percent over the three years of the contract. The custodial unit had an adjustment made for the day custodians and their overall wage increase for the three-year contract will be 12.81 percent wage increase, to bring them more on par with the wage rate of the night custodians. If the day custodian works by themself then they will receive a $1.25 per hour stipend for being the only custodian in the building. There is also a $3.00 differential if the day custodian has to cover a facilities manager’s work over an absence of more than a day. The night custodians as well as the food service members will see a 7.16 percent wage increase over the life of the contract. 

Members who have vacation time will be able to carry over three days each year which must be used by the end of July. Bereavement leave had the addition of an individual of importance to the employee where they may, upon approval of the Superintendent, receive bereavement leave or sick leave. Thirty-hour employees will receive medical, pension and Section 125 plan benefits if they work 30 hours a week inclusive of holidays and vacation and work more than 180 days in a year.

The Sublocal 80 negotiating committee consisted of Jack Sisson and Lola Johnson.

A new contract for Tolland County Fire Dispatchers reached by Sublocal 76 in May will raise wages by 2.25 percent in the first year, then 2.5 percent in each of the succeeding years of the four-year contract. The contract also keeps health insurance contributions at 20 percent for the life of the contract. Life insurance will increase from $100,000 to $150,000 while workers are working for the dispatch center. If an employee works for 25 years they can now retire with the policy enforced and the employee taking over the payment.

The Sublocal 76 negotiating committee consisted of Sublocal President Corry Church and Vice President Alex Moore.

Paraprofessionals in two Connecticut school districts represented by UE Local 222 also settled new contracts in February.

Paraprofessionals at the Windsor Locks Board of Education, members of Sublocal 4, had to go through mediation with the school district in order to resolve negotiations. In the end, they negotiated two percent raises each year of a three-year contract, and were able to secure contract language that summer school hiring will go by seniority. The Sublocal 4 negotiating committee consisted of Sublocal Co-Presidents Janine Liddell and Tracey Rand, along with Lisa Quagliaroli, Alison Green, Cathy Nolan, Kirsten Ireland, and Karen Walker.

Sublocal 53 at the Old Saybrook School District negotiated wage increases of 2.5 percent for each year of their new three-year contract, and they added a new paid holiday. Members will no longer be penalized pay if they produce a doctor’s note when they are sick the day before or the day after a holiday. They were also able to get personal protective equipment (PPE) language into the contract. The Sublocal 53 negotiating committee consisted of Sublocal President Christine Logiudice, Tammy Skau, and Peg Farley.

The Wallingford School District has had trouble recruiting substitute teachers due to low pay and COVID, so many Wallingford paraeducators have been filling in as teacher substitutes. Sublocal 75 worked out a pay increase with the school district where members received teacher substitute pay, plus their regular pay, through the end of the school year. As the sublocal prepares their proposals for this year’s contract negotiations, they are considering making a proposal to extend this agreement into the contract. The school district has praised UE members for their hard work and flexibility during COVID.

Local 222 also held a virtual leadership training on February 25, with a mix of experienced and new leaders. The group discussed UE values, steward basics, signing up members, local constitutions, and exchanged resources and tips.

Local 222 was assisted in the various contract negotiations by Field Organizers Sherry Bryant and Annie Bulger MacDonald.