County school workers, officials agree on raises

Union officials say the 6.25 percent increase is "a good package.'' It must be ratified by the non-teaching employees.

By JAMES THORNER

© St. Petersburg Times, published July 8, 2000

LAND O'LAKES -- Pasco County School District's non-teaching employees would get a 6.25 percent pay raise under a tentative agreement reached Thursday night.

The agreement involves the district's 2,500 support staffers, including bus drivers, custodians, food-service workers, secretaries and maintenance workers.

Union president Lynne Webb said the raises amount to an additional $2-million in next year's school budget.

But she stressed that not every employee will get a 6.25 percent raise. The non-instructional employees work from 25 salary scales, some making as little as $6 an hour.

"Raises may be more or less depending on years of experience," Webb said.

The agreement follows by one week a tentative contract reached between the teacher's union and school district administrators.

The deal gave teachers an 8.22 percent raise, including a one-time $1,000 bonus. Starting teachers now will make $29,400, narrowing the gap with teacher salaries in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.

Webb said support staffers still lag in pay behind their counterparts to the south, but make more than people in Hernando County schools.

Terry Rhum, Pasco's supervisor of employee relations, said the state Department of Education gave more money this year than last year, when non-teaching employees got a 4.25 percent raise.

"It's a good package. It's significantly better than last year," Rhum said.

The salary agreement reached this week resulted from three weeks of negotiations between the school district and union. The two sides met in six sessions.

Negotiations over working conditions are expected to end before the start of the school year, Aug. 7, when employees will vote on ratifying the contract.

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