Principals union again doesn't vote on contract

THE UNION representing Philadelphia School District principals and other administrators has once again delayed voting on a four-year contract that calls for a 3 percent bonus, some salary increases, and no increase in health-care costs.

Teamsters Local 502 of the Commonwealth Association of School Administrators, which represents more than 480 employees, had said it expected to tally ballots Friday night.

Instead, the union said it would delay voting on the contract until a general membership meeting is held Wednesday at Lincoln High School in the Northeast. The contract would replace one that expires Aug. 31 and would run until the end of August 2020.

Friday night's decision came after principals and administrators had attended a series of informational meetings over the last few days. The announcement was posted on the union's website. President Robert McGrogan could not be reached for comment.

School District spokesman Fernando Gallard said, "We respect the process CASA is using."

The original vote on a tentative agreement reached May 25 had been scheduled for June 1 at Fels High School in the Northeast. But members who attended that meeting said they needed more time and information.

At that time, McGrogan promised that terms of the new pact would be "far better" than those approved in 2014, when the district was in a financial crisis.

When the contract of 2014 was negotiated, there were concerns that schools might not open on time. Members agreed to steep pay cuts and other concessions.

The latest compensation package would include a combination of bonuses, step raises based on years of service, and increases in base pay.

McGrogan said the amount of the increases would vary, depending on current salary schedules. Apart from administrators who are at the maximum level on the scale, a 1.5 percent increase would take effect Aug. 31.

The proposal also calls for CASA members who stay with the district in the fall to receive a 3 percent cash bonus, with a guaranteed minimum of $1,500.

Two years ago, CASA members agreed to begin paying 7 percent of the cost of health-care coverage in the first year, and 8 percent during the second.

The move was controversial because most members of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers do not contribute toward their health-care plans.

Because the union represents staffers in a wide range of positions, McGrogan said it was not possible to give an average salary for his members. CASA, he said, includes employees who perform a mixture of clerical and administrative duties and earn $33,000 a year. His unit also extends to principals who are paid $150,000 annually to work 12 months at district turnaround schools known as Promise Academies.