Dayton Education Association asks board to fix contract wording that cut long-term substitute pay

Neil Mahoney, president of the Dayton Education Association, told the board on Aug. 19 that a memorandum of understanding reached last school year and later contract language created an unintended pay cut for some long-term substitutes.

Mahoney said the MOU after Sept. 1 set a base pay for newly hired long-term substitutes at $51,785, but a later contract clause stating long-term subs would be paid "what they ended last year at" produced differing results for substitutes hired before Sept. 1 at higher, education-level steps. "We then entered into a contract negotiation that said anyone that was being paid at the end of the 24-25 school year would continue that pay for the next 2 years of our contract," Mahoney said. "It has come to my attention that there's been a significant number of long term subs that were paid prior to September 1 at a higher scale."

Mahoney said some long-term substitutes who had been paid at a masters or PhD step last year received a lower first paycheck this year because of the new contract language. He asked the district to collaborate to rectify what he described as a "wording snafu." Mahoney told trustees the association is willing to work with the district to remedy affected employees' pay.

Board members asked staff to assemble a list of affected employees. Mahoney said he had asked HR to provide that information and that he hoped Doctor Davis would be able to identify substitutes hired before Sept. 1 who were paid above the $51,785 base. Treasurer and HR staff were asked to assist; trustees said they would look into the matter.

The board did not adopt a formal corrective motion at the meeting but asked staff to provide the names and pay-history information so trustees and the DEA can pursue a resolution.