School Committee President Scott W. Wood Jr.
A new union contract agreement for Haverhill school custodians is signed, sealed and delivered.
The Haverhill school committee Thursday night unanimously ratified the three-year agreement with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Local 888, retroactive to the last fiscal year. Custodians will receive no pay raises for last year, a one percent increase this year and 1.75 percent next year. Each of the city’s 35 custodians will also receive a $100 increase to a uniform allowance which totals
$550 each, according to Committee President Scott W. Wood Jr. He said he appreciated the union for “negotiating in good faith.”
“They understood the financial position of the district. Obviously, they wanted more, we wanted to give more. At this time it just wasn’t economically feasible for us to do so. They understood where we were coming from and hopefully, in the future, we can negotiate a deal that is much more to their advantage, I guess you could say,” Wood said.
SEIU Local 888 Vice President Eric Russell thanked committee negotiators Wood and Committeeman Joseph J. Bevilacqua for the time taken to reach the contract agreement.
“We believe you guys appreciate what we do. A lot of the guys believed you should appreciate more with money, but it is what it is. You guys can give what you can give. We’re happy with the contract, we just want it signed and we want it over with,” Russell said.
Scott Wood….Is there some reason you NEVER answer your telephone? What’s the point of listing a telephone number if you never answer calls? Are you hiding from something?????
Did you ever think of leaving a message? I have found elected officials and most people don’t answer blocked calls or numbers they don’t know.