RAVENA-COEYMANS — The community’s Christmas parade and tree-lighting ceremony took place Saturday. Here is a photo gallery of images from the weekend’s festivities.
By Melanie Lekocevic
Capital Region Independent Media
RAVENA-COEYMANS-SELKIRK — The school district and the teacher’s union signed a new collective bargaining agreement, the district announced Tuesday.
Members of the Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk Teachers Association were working without a contract since June 2021 and were locked in negotiations with the district to come to terms on a new contract since January 2021.
The new contract is effective July 1, 2021, and will remain in effect through June 30, 2023, according to the district. Teachers will receive salary increases retroactively to the start of the new agreement.
Details of the collective bargaining agreement were not immediately available Tuesday.
A key priority of the new contract was “establishing salaries that will attract and maintain staff that work tirelessly on behalf of the children in our care,” District Superintendent Dr. Brian Bailey said in a statement Tuesday.
A group of parents and other supporters of the teachers turned out to a board of education meeting in November urging the district to meet one of the teacher’s unions biggest demands — a pay hike.
Science teacher and president of the Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk Teachers Association Matt Miller said Tuesday the new agreement is a step in the right direction.
“Although the process for negotiations for this contract was somewhat prolonged, we made important initial steps towards achieving our ultimate goal of creating a competitive salary schedule and we are pleased the RCS administration and Board of Education are willing to work with us to continue these efforts moving forward,” Miller said.
The ultimate goal is to meet the educational needs of the district’s students, Bailey said.
“The needs of our students continue to evolve and portions of this agreement will help us adapt as we seek to provide the best opportunities for students to be successful after graduation,” the district superintendent said.
Check back for more on this developing story.
