Lawrence Township School Board, Union Reach Contract Agreement

LAWRENCE TOWNSHIP, NJ — The Lawrence Board of Education (BOE) and Lawrence Township Education Association (LTEA) have reached an agreement on a tentative contract, the school district announced this week.

Under the new agreement — which is retroactive to July 1, 2017 — salary increases will take effect for the current year and the next two years. This year and next year, those increases will be 2.75 percent, and they will hit 2.80 percent in the third year. Any retroactive payments due will be paid by the end of November.

Additional increases include changes in hourly pay rates, the number of extra duty pay (EDP) positions, and stipends for staff holding certain credentials in specific categories, according to the district. The agreement also provides a reduction in the number of faculty meetings required per month as well as miscellaneous language pertaining to medical insurance eligibility and coverage.

The agreement was reached on June 12 following two meetings with a state-appointed mediator, but LTEA didn’t ratify the agreement until all staff returned from summer vacation, on Sept. 1, according to the district. The Board of Education approved the contract on Sept. 13.

“The Board and the LTEA worked collaboratively to reach an agreement that is fair to our teachers and the public and benefits our entire community,” Board of Education President and Chair of the Board of Education Negotiations Committee Kevin Van Hise said.

The LTEA is the district’s largest of three unions. Its members include staff categories such as teachers, child study team members, custodians, buildings and grounds staff, secretaries, nurses, and guidance counselors.

Patch file photo