New contract in place for borough teachers

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By Andreas Yilma, Staff Writer

NAUGATUCK — The Board of Education and the Naugatuck Teachers’ League, the union that represents borough teachers, have agreed on a new, three-year contract.

The contract covers from Sept. 1, 2021, through Aug. 31, 2024. The contract was approved by the school board and the union last month.

The Board of Mayor and Burgesses reviewed the contract in executive session March 2 but took no action on it, which allowed the contract to go into effect. If the borough board rejected the deal, the contract would have gone to arbitration.

Under the contract, teachers who are not at the highest step will advance one salary step in the first and last years of the deal. Teachers won’t move up a step in the second year of the contract.

Even though teachers won’t advance a step in the second year of the deal, salaries will go up some every year, according to the contract. Under the salary schedule in the contract, teacher salaries will range from $47,364 for a teacher with a bachelor’s degree at the lowest step to $102,645 for a teacher with a sixth-year certificate plus 15 class credits in 2021-22. The salary range in the third year of the contract is $48,557 to $102,857.

Teachers are eligible to participate in a high deductible health plan with a $2,500 deductible for an individual plan and a $5,000 deductible for a family plan.

Teachers will be responsible for 100% of the deductible throughout the contract. Teachers will contribute 7% of the premium cost share for health care in 2022, 7.5% in 2023 and 8.75% in 2024.

George Macary, an applied education teacher at Naugatuck High School and president of the teachers’ union, said the contract was a reasonable compromise. Arbitration was not needed for a resolution, he added.

“I think (Superintendent of Schools) Chris (Montini) and the team did a good job on their end,” Macary said. “Overall considering the times, both sides did a good job coming to an agreement.”

Board of Education Chairman Jeffrey Litke said the board looks forward to continue working with teachers to provide the best education for students.

“I believe that the teachers’ union contract is a fair agreement for both sides,” Litke said.