Greater Latrobe approves 1-year contract extension for service employees

Greater Latrobe School Board approved a one-year contract extension with 67 service employees as the district sets a goal of returning to in-school instruction this fall.

District business administrator Dan Watson said the extension continues terms in effect during the final year of a three-year labor agreement that expired on Monday.

The extension provides an average 4% pay hike for 37 custodial and maintenance workers and 30 food service workers who are members of Service Employees International Union Local 32BJ.

Watson noted workers at the top of the pay scale will receive smaller raises — about 2% for custodians and 1.6% for maintenance employees.

“We recognize the value they provide to our school district and that they’re going to continue to provide,” said Watson. “We wanted to make sure we had a contract in place for at least one more year. Then we can revisit in a more long-term discussion.”

Board President Dr. Michael Zorch praised the service employees for their essential roles, including cafeteria workers who helped distribute grab-and-go lunches for students after state restrictions related to the covid-19 pandemic closed district schools in mid-March.

Other workers came in to clean district buildings.

“There’s a lot of essential people out there,” Zorch said. “We appreciate their help.”

Greater Latrobe is hoping to offer instruction in classrooms to all K-12 students five days per week this fall. In case pandemic conditions limit the number of students that can be in school at a given time, the district developed a hybrid plan that would have students alternating between in-school instruction and virtual lessons received at home.