PUTNAM — The Putnam Board of Education announced that they and the Putnam Education Association have finalized contract negotiations for the teachers’ contract covering the years 2014-2017.
Once again, the two groups used Interest Based Bargaining for negotiating the contract.
Interest Based Bargaining is a type of negotiation which is different than traditional labor negotiations.
In Interest Based Bargaining, each side presents a number of issues to discuss, brainstorm and collaborate to find solutions.
This contract resulted in total salary increases of 3.0 percent in the 2014/15 school year and 2.75 percent for both the 2015/16 and 2016/17 school years.
The total salary pool over the life of the contract will be 8.5 percent. This 8.5 percent increase is just under the state average for three-year teacher contracts negotiated this year.
In addition, the teachers have agreed to change the way their health insurance will be funded.
All teachers will now be required to have a Health Savings Account.
This change has potential savings for the Board of Education over the long term. The Board and teachers’ union also agreed to some minor contract language changes.
The contract was filed with the Town Clerk.
Michael Morrill said, “Interest Based Bargaining has allowed us to work together collaboratively with the teachers to find solutions to issues in a non-confrontational manner. We were happy to be able to collaborate with the teachers along with the Board of Finance during this negotiation. IBB helped the Board and teachers to settle under the state average of 8.84 percent along with restructuring health insurance plans. Any savings that we realize will help us maintain the positive momentum that we have experienced in the last few years.”
Honored
PUTNAM — Lisa French, sleep coordinator, has been named employee of the month for December at Day Kimball Healthcare (DKH).
French joined DKH in 1992 in the respiratory department and began working second and third shifts in the sleep center in 1999 when the department was started. In her position as sleep coordinator, she is responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the sleep center and performing sleep studies. French’s other duties include managing staffing, statistics and policies, and educating the community about sleep.
French is a certified respiratory therapist, a registered polysomnographic technologist, and a registered sleep technologist. A three-time cancer survivor, she was honored with the American Cancer Society’s 2013 “Sandra L. Labaree New England Volunteer Values Award.” French is a life-long resident of northeast Connecticut and currently lives in Pomfret with her husband Dwight and daughter Kaitlyn.
GROTON — Charter Oak Federal Credit Union ended its fourth quarter by making numerous donations to local non-profits, totaling $16,000. These donations were in addition to $48,000 disbursed earlier in the fourth quarter.
Recipients included: Friends of Assisi Food Pantry; Covenant Soup Kitchen; The New London Community Meal Center, Inc.; St. Vincent de Paul Place; Mystic Area Shelter and Hospitality; Gemma E. Moran United Way/Labor Food Center; Care & Share of East Lyme, Inc.; and the New London Homeless Hospitality Center.
Each recipient received an unsolicited $2,000 donation.
“The winter months can impose numerous challenges for food pantries and shelters, and as a community-based credit union, we feel it’s our responsibility and pleasure to support these organizations,” said Brian A. Orenstein, Charter Oak’s CEO.
Charter Oak’s Community Giving Program has awarded approximately $800,000 to local non-profits in New London and Windham counties since its inception in 2009. Funding priorities include education and training; health programs; human services; housing; community development and revitalization; and the arts. In addition, Charter Oak often sponsors and participates in various community events including Celebrate East Lyme, Groton City Day, and Positively Pomfret.
Then
This is the framing being done on the South Woodstock Baptist Church for an addition at the back of the church building. Putnam Town Crier file photos.
& Now
This is the rear of the addition two short months later.