***Updated to include response from Union President Lisa Langenstein***

The Collinsville Unit 10 School Board approved a new contract with the Service Employees International Union, Local 316 at a special meeting Tuesday.

Collinsville School Board / Photo by Roger Starkey

The union represents all office personnel filling positions classified as a secretary and bookkeeper, with the exceptions of: Secretary to the Superintendent of Schools, Secretary to the Board of Education, Secretary to Director of Business Affairs, Secretary to Director of Human Resources, Secretary to Director of Building and Grounds, Accounting Supervisor and Payroll Supervisor.

The contract is retroactive to July 1, 2013 and expires on June 30, 2014. The employees will receive a 2.37 percent salary increase, which is similar to other raises the School Board has negotiated this year with the unions representing district employees, School Board President Gary Peccola said.

Union President Lisa Langenstein said the members were pleased with the contract and commended the district for managing their finances such that, despite the State’s financial situation, they could offer increases to their employees.

“We are just happy to be offered a raise in these economic hard times,” Langenstein said.

Gary Kusmierczak was the only School Board member who voted against the contract. Kusmierczak cited concerns about the length of vacation time district employees receive as the reason he was opposed to the contract. “We need to start looking at all of the time off we are granting employees in the district. This is not a prudent use of tax payers’ money,” Kusmierczak said.

Under the contract, employees that work 12 months per year will receive two weeks of paid vacation after they have been employed at least one year, three weeks after eight years and four weeks after 15 years. Employees who work 9 1/2 or 10 months per year do not receive paid vacation days, Kelly Carpenter, director of human resources said.