West Hartford School Cafeteria Workers Getting Pay Hikes

WEST HARTFORD, CT — With minimum wage set to go up to $15 an hour next year, West Hartford school officials had to address that last month in the latest contract with cafeteria workers.

The West Hartford Board of Education unanimously approved a new, four-year deal with the West Hartford Board of Education Cafeteria Workers Union at the board's last meeting Sept. 20.

And included in the terms of the pact is an increase to that minimum wage for entry-level, "Step 1 general and technical nutrition assistants."

According to the approved contract, Step 1 assistants will earn $15 in 2022-23; $15.38 in 2023-24; $15.76 in 2024-25; and $16.15 in 2025-26. The prior starting pay was $14.38 an hour.

There are seven steps total and moving across "steps" is based on experience and the higher the step, the higher the hourly pay.
For example, an assistant at the final step, "Step 7," would earn $20.33 an hour this year and $22.22 an hour in the final year of the contract.

Similarly-sized raises were approved for bakers, cooks, head cashiers and truck drivers within the West Hartford cafeteria union.

The pay ranges for these positions will go from a low of $15.50 an hour for Step 1 in the first year of the contract to $23.23 an hour for Step 7 in the final year.

Those at Step 7, the most experienced cafeteria workers, will get annual wage increases starting at 2 percent in the first year of the deal and then 3 percent hikes annually through years two through four.

As for health insurance and retirement benefits, employees will pay between 15.5 percent of the costs from the first year to 16 percent in years three and four.

Pension retirement benefits are from 5 percent of gross income in the first year to 6 percent by years three and four.

In approving the deal, school officials praised the work of cafeteria employees.

School board member Clare Neseralla said the employees' interactions with the children are as much a part of the experience as good nutrition.

"There's a lot of interaction," she said. "It's not just about food."

West Hartford School System Executive Director of Human Resources Julio Duarte also feted union members.

"This is a group of about 60 extremely dedicated employees that work throuhout our schools in the district to provide over 4,500 nutritious meals each day to our students," Duarte said.

To watch the Sept. 20 West Hartford Board of Education meeting, click on this link.

To see the full terms of the West Hartford cafeteria workers contract, click on this link.