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Administrative-professionals union members urge better pay, point to insurance premium disparities
Summary
Members of the Osseo Administrative Professionals Union spoke during public comment to criticize pay increases that lag district peers and highlighted that administrative staff pay higher insurance premiums relative to teachers; they asked the board to negotiate improved financial terms.
On Dec. 17, representatives of the Osseo Administrative Professionals (Local 7343) addressed the board during public comment to press for more equitable compensation and benefits. Stacy Jones, president of the union and an administrative assistant at Elm Creek Elementary, described long-standing concerns over small wage increases that have not kept pace with rising health-insurance costs. Jones said some members have seen their real income decline because of insurance-premium increases and asked the board to prioritize a fair financial package.
Michelle Cogswell, a union negotiator and administrative assistant at Northview Middle School, provided specific comparative figures: using the HSA employee-plus-one premium as an example, she said teachers pay $84 per paycheck while the union group currently pays $117 — a 39.3% increase for administrative assistants. "Where do we fall in there?" Cogswell asked the board, noting that administrative assistants make significantly less than teachers yet shoulder higher premium costs. The speakers pointed to the district's financial statements showing $9.9 million under budgeted expenditures and argued the district can and should do more in contract settlements. The public comment underscored ongoing labor negotiations on compensation and benefits and preceded a board closed session on labor talks.
