ARTICLE		PAGE NUMBER
I	RECOGNITION	3
II	NEGOTIATION PROCEDURES	3
III	EMPLOYEES RIGHTS	4
IV	ASSOCIATION RIGHTS	4
V	BOARD RIGHTS & PRIVILEGES	5
VI	GRIEVANCE PROCEDURES	5
VII	SEPARABILITY	8
VIII	SENIORITY/EMPLOYMENT STATUS	9
IX	HOLIDAYS	9
X	VACATIONS	10
XI	BEREAVEMENT LEAVE	12
XII	PERSONAL LEAVE	12
XIII	SICK LEAVE	13
XIV	SICK LEAVE BANK	14
XV	OTHER INSURANCES	16
XVI	INSURANCE BENEFITS	16
XVII	PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND ASSOCIATIONS	18
XVIII	AUTOMOBILE EXPENSES	19
XIX	DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURE	19
XX	EVALUATION	19
XXI	FILE PROCEDURE	21
XXII	WORK DAY / WORK YEAR	20
XXIII	NONDISCRIMINATION	21
XXIV	INFORMATION PACKET	22
XXV	POSTING	22
XXVI	WORK RULES	22
XXVII	DEDUCTIONS FROM WAGES	22
XXVIII	SALARIES	23
XXIX	DURATION	23

CENTRAL SUPPORT Group
Central Office Secretaries
Administrative Assistant to Chief Academic Officer
Bookkeeper
Technology Specialist
Technology Assistant
Transportation Secretary

1. The term "Board" shall mean the Pittsgrove Township Board of Education or its designated representatives.

2. The term "Association" shall mean the Central Office Support Staff Association.

3. The term "school" shall mean any work location.

4. Singular terms used in this Agreement shall include the plural, masculine shall include the feminine; the feminine shall include the masculine.

5. The term “employees” refers to those who are members of the captioned group listed with the titled Article.

The Board hereby retains and reserves unto itself, except as limited by this Agreement, all powers, rights, authority, duties, and responsibilities conferred upon and vested in it prior to the signing of this Agreement by the Laws and Constitution of the State of New Jersey and of the Associated States, including the following rights:

1. To the executive management and administrative control of the Pittsgrove School district and its properties and facilities and the activities of its employees;

2. To hire all employees and subject to the provisions of law, to determine their qualifications and conditions for continued employment or assignment and to promote and transfer employees;

3. To suspend, demote, discharge or take over disciplinary action for good and just cause according to law;

4. To relieve employees from duties because of insufficient enrollment, or other reason deemed appropriate by the Board.

5. To take whatever actions may be necessary to carry out the program and objectives of the Board in situations of emergency.

6. To determine work schedules and hours, duties, responsibilities, and assignments of employees.

The purpose of this procedure is to resolve differences, at the lowest possible level, which may arise between the Board and the Association or an Association member affecting the terms and conditions of this agreement. It is understood that employees shall, during and notwithstanding the pendency of any grievance, continue to observe all assignments and applicable rules and regulations of the Board until such grievance and any effect thereof shall have been fully determined.

1. The purpose of this procedure is to secure, at the lowest possible level, an equitable solution to the problems which may arise affecting the terms and conditions of this Agreement. The parties agree that this procedure will be kept informal and confidential.

2. Every effort will be made to resolve problems informally and nothing herein contained shall be construed as limiting the right of any employee having a grievance to discuss the matter informally with his/her immediate supervisor and having the grievance adjusted without resorting to the formal grievance procedure.

1. Failure at any step of this procedure to communicate the decision on a grievance within the specified time limits shall permit the aggrieved to proceed to the next step. Failure at any step of this procedure to appeal a grievance to the next step within the specified time limits shall be deemed to the acceptance of the decision at that step.

2. All grievances under these steps shall be in writing, shall specify the section or article of the contract violated, the date or dates of the violation, and the relief sought. The number of days indicated at each step should be considered as a maximum and every effort should be made to expedite the process.

3. Working days when used in this Article shall mean days on which the Board Office is open for business.

4. If a request is made by the Association for a hearing, the Board has the option to submit the Association’s request for a hearing to a committee of the Board in order to make a determination at that level of the procedure or to submit the Association’s request for a hearing to the full Board. A written response shall then be given within ten (10) workdays of the hearing. If the request is submitted to a committee of the Board, upon receiving the response from the committee of the Board, the Association has ten (10) workdays to request a full Board hearing. A written response shall then be given within ten (10) workdays of the hearing.

5. Hearings held under this procedure shall be scheduled at mutually convenient times.
6. The fact that an employee raises a grievance shall not be recorded in the employee's personnel file nor shall such a fact be used in any recommendations for job placement or promotion. An employee shall not be placed in jeopardy or be the subject of reprisal or discrimination for having followed this grievance procedure.
7. Time limits set forth herein may be extended by written consent of the parties.
8. The foregoing shall be the entire grievance and complaint procedure replacing any policy or procedure heretofore in effect.

a. An aggrieved employee shall institute action in writing under the provisions hereof within thirty (30) calendar days of the occurrence of the grievance and an earnest effort shall be made to settle the differences between the aggrieved employee and his immediate supervisor. Failure to act within said thirty (30) calendar days shall be deemed to constitute an abandonment of the grievance.

b. The supervisor shall render a written decision within ten (10) working days after receipt of the grievance.

a. In the event a satisfactory settlement has not been reached at Step One, the Association may appeal the Step one decision to the Superintendent of Schools or his designee within ten (10) working days following receipt of the Step one decision.

b. The Superintendent of Schools or his designee shall render a decision in writing within ten (10) working days from the receipt of the grievance or from the date of the hearing.

a. In the event the grievance has not been resolved at Step Two, then within ten (10) working days following the determination of the
Superintendent of Schools the matter may be submitted by the Unit to the Board of Education for review.

b. The Board of Education, or a committee thereof, shall review the matter and make a determination within thirty (30) calendar days from the receipt of the grievance.

a. Within ten (10) working days after receipt of the decision of the Board, the Association may submit the grievance to arbitration under and in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association.

b. The arbitrator’s authority is limited to the express written terms and conditions of the contract.

c. The fact that the parties have considered the grievance in the preceding steps of this procedure shall not constitute a waiver of jurisdictional limitations on the arbitrator.

e. The unsuccessful party shall pay the arbitrator's fee and reasonable expenses. Determination of which party is unsuccessful shall be at the sole discretion of the arbitrator. The arbitrator may also decide at his sole discretion, that no single unsuccessful party is able to be determined and that the parties shall share the costs equally.

1. Any aggrieved person may be represented at Steps One and Two of the grievance procedure by himself or by a representative of the Association.

2. If the Association is not the chosen representative, it shall be notified in advance of such meeting and shall have the right to be present and state its views in writing. The Association shall have the sole right to determine if unresolved grievances are processed to Step Three and beyond.





ARTICLE VII

B. A break in continuous service occurs when an employee resigns, is discharged, retires or goes on an unpaid leave of absence (including maternity/paternity) that extends beyond three (3) months.

C. An employee who is rehired after layoff or returns from an unpaid leave of absence shall not suffer the loss of accumulated seniority and additional seniority shall accrue from the date of resumption of service.

D. A seniority list, by classification, shall be given to the Association President not later than September of each year.

E. All new employees shall be hired with an annual employment contract which has a probationary clause covering the first ninety (90) work days, with a thirty (30) work day termination notice by either the employer or the employee.

F. An employee’s status as an employee of the Board shall terminate for any of the following reasons:

1. Resignation or retirement.

2. Discharge.

3. Continuous layoff for a period exceeding the duration of the employee’s service up to a maximum of two (2) years.

4. Failure of laid-off employees to return to work on the date specified in any notice of recall, except for good cause.

5. Failure to report back to work immediately upon the expiration of vacation or leave of absence, without a valid reason.

Days Worked Per Week / 5 x Earned Vacation = Vacation Entitlement

Days Worked Per Week / 5 x # of Months in the Work Year = Sick Day Entitlement

All individual employee’s requests for usage of the SLB shall include medical verification from a physician regarding the nature and anticipated duration of the personal disability due to illness or injury. If an individual employee is incapable of making/and or completing the written request for participation in the SLB, a family member or other responsible adult is allowed to make the request on the individual employee’s behalf. The name of that family member or other responsible adults, and all necessary contact information, shall be provided on the written request form submitted to the Superintendent and the Business Administrator.

A check-list shall be developed by the Review Committee to determine individual employee eligibility for usage of the SLB. The check list shall be utilized for all requests made to the Review Committee regarding individual employee eligibility for usage of the SLB.

All documentation submitted by the individual employee shall become part of the individual employee’s permanent, confidential, medical file. Such documentation shall only be viewable by the members of the Review Committee, and, if necessary, the school physician. Verification of continued personal disability due to illness or injury may be required at reasonable intervals by either or both the Board of Education and/or the Review Committee.

The Review Committee shall render all decisions within thirty (30) calendar days from the day of a completed written request. A completed written request shall contain all components necessary for the Review Committee to render its decision. If one (1) or more components of a completed written request is/are missing or incomplete, then the Review Committee shall render its decision within thirty (30) calendar days of the date of the completed written request. All decisions regarding a completed written request are strictly within the authority and discretion of the Review Committee.

Effective July 1, 2018, all new hires contracted on or after July 1, 2018, and not eligible for benefits prior to July 1, 2018, Horizon Omnia, or substantially equivalent, will become the new base plan.

For employees eligible for benefits prior to July 1, 2018, and elect Horizon Omnia, the Board will reimburse the full share of employee Chapter 78 costs, up to the following amounts:
Single: $1,000
2 Adult or P/C: $1,500
Family: $2,000

Reimbursement will be paid half in December and half in June.

Effective July 1, 2021, the new reimbursement rate for out-of-network expenses for the base medical plan will change from 90% of fair market to a minimum of 180% of Medicare (CMS) rates.

For those employees who choose to waive coverage, the Board of Education will pay the appropriate amount in conformity with the “opt-out” provisions of the School Employees Health Benefit Plan.

· Marriage, divorce, or legal separation
· Death of a spouse or dependent
· Birth or adoption of a dependent
· Termination or commencement of participant’s or spouse’s employment
· Participant or spouse taking an unpaid leave of absence lasting more than thirty (30) calendar days
· Participant or spouse having a significant change in health coverage due to spouse’s employment
· Ineligibility of a dependent
· Bankruptcy court order

D. Section 125 plan will be established for the benefit of Pittsgrove Township Board of Education employees.
E. Long Term Disability Insurance

1. If disability coverage is ever provided to the PEA teaching staff through their contract, it will automatically be extended to all Association employees.
2. The Board of Education will contribute $375 for each Association full time employee ($175 for each part-time employee) to be used for the purchase of dental, prescription or disability insurance. Effective July 1, 2018, the BOSS Group will no longer be eligible for this benefit.

1. A written reprimand to be placed in the employee's personnel file in the case of minor offenses. The Board shall furnish the employee with a copy of the reprimand. The employee shall be required to sign the file copy for the sole purpose of acknowledging that he has received his copy. The employee shall have the right to submit a written response within ten (10) workdays of receipt of the evaluation. The written response shall be included in the employee's personnel file.

2. Suspension from work without pay for periods varying from one (1) to ten (10) days, according to the gravity of the offense and the previous record of the employee concerned.

3. Discharge for good cause.

1. In-service credit hours are defined as workshops arranged by the district and taught within the district.

2. An Employee will receive a certificate of completion in the in-service course. Completed in-service credit hours will be reviewed at the employee’s annual evaluation, and future goals will be set.

3. The in-service credit workshops offered by the district must meet an identified need of the district and be approved in advance by the Superintendent.

4. Workshops offered outside of the district (which shall include on-line courses) and required by the district can be used as in-service credit. All out of district or on-line workshops require prior approval from the Superintendent. Reimbursement for all costs of these workshops and on-line courses will be paid by the district upon receipt of a certificate of completion.

5. In-service credit hours will be offered for training to learn how to operate new equipment. An Association member will receive a certificate of completion for the in-service credit hours.

1. The work day for secretarial staff shall be seven and one-half (7-1/2) hours which excludes an unpaid thirty (30) minute lunch period.

2. The work year for twelve (12) month secretarial employees shall be based on one thousand nine hundred fifty (1,950) hours.

3. The work year for ten (10) month secretarial employees shall be based on one thousand six hundred twenty-five (1,625) hours commencing September 1 and ending June 30.

Employees will be available for overtime, not to exceed three (3) hours/day or twenty (20) hours/month on days when school is in session. If use of vacation and/or personal days previously approved by the Superintendent conflicts with overtime request, employee will not be required to work. Seventy-two (72) hours advance notice will be given to those employees required to work and all overtime will be paid at 1 ½ times the employee’s hourly salary for hours worked beyond the standard 37.5 hours/week.

Employees will complete required in-service training. The employees will be given at least 14 days’ notice of the in-service training time. This training may be held inside or outside the regular contracted day depending on the nature of training and provider. Failure to meet this requirement may result in disciplinary action.

2018-19 3.2%
2019-20 3.1%
2020-21 3.0%

If an Association member earns a Master’s degree while employed in the district, which directly relates to their current job, they would be entitled to a one-time base salary adjustment of $2,000, effective July 1 of the ensuing school year and contingent upon submission of the appropriate paperwork to the Superintendent’s office.

15 years $ 500.00
20 years $1,000.00
25 years $1,500.00