East Cleveland board ratifies union contracts, approves $1,500 retention payment for administrators

The East Cleveland Board of Education on June 9 ratified a series of labor agreements and approved a one-time retention payment for administrators. The board voted to ratify a one-year reopener with the East Cleveland Education Association that provides a 2% raise for the current contract year and approved a three-year classified master agreement with 2% increases each year. The board also authorized a one-time $1,500 retention and recruitment payment for eligible administrative and exempt employees, a package the superintendent said would cost roughly $54,000 for 36 employees.

The superintendent, Dr. Pedigrew, described the teacher agreement as a short-term reopening of the prior three-year contract and said the 2% adjustment had been anticipated in the district’s five-year forecast. “It’s a 2% … that the board would agree to,” Dr. Pedigrew said, adding that the teachers’ membership ratified the proposal with strong support. The classroom and classified agreements were presented to the board after both unions reported membership approval.

Board members asked for and received budget context during discussion. When asked whether the 2% was on base salary, Dr. Pedigrew confirmed it applied to the salary schedule and noted the increase had been included in the district’s financial forecast. On the retention payments, the superintendent explained the stipend is intended to reward staff who completed the full year. A board member asked for the total cost and number of eligible employees; the superintendent replied the estimate is 36 people at $1,500 each, for a total of $54,000, and that the amount is included in the general fund’s miscellaneous line for year-end adjustments.

The resolutions were moved, seconded and approved by the board. Following the votes, board members and the superintendent noted the negotiations were completed without protracted disputes. “These agreements are staples to those foundational pieces of work,” Dr. Pedigrew said, praising the bargaining process and staff involved. The board will revisit longer-term bargaining and forecasting in the coming months as part of ongoing labor and budget planning.