Irvington Education Association bargains a breakthrough agreement
By David Yastremski
Marked by impasse and mediation—the Irvington Education Association (IEA) bargained a settlement that led to the association becoming a finalist for the 2024 Jim George Collective Bargaining Award. The breakthrough agreement, reached last year, marked not only a win for the local but for the entire district by building a path toward sustaining excellence over the next five years and beyond.
Over the past several contract cycles, IEA’s journey toward a fair and just contract was fraught with challenges. The lengthy process underscored a complex balancing act between the board of education and the association. However, a clear focus on key priorities allowed IEA to rewrite the past and step forward toward a new chapter of higher salaries, increased tuition support and improved working conditions for all members, certified and educational support professional (ESP).
“We knew of the one or two things we really wanted, and we knew what we would offer in order to get what we wanted,” said IEA President Michael Byock. “Our focus helped get the job done.”
That focus led to significant increases to the salary guides for certified staff and ESPs, which includes secretaries, attendance officers and security personnel. For certified staff, the five-year contract establishes, by the fifth year, an $80,000 starting salary—a milestone that Byock believes will attract new educators to the district. In addition, secretaries, ESPs and security guards all received significant increases that recognize their service and value to the students and community.
IEA worked closely with Region 21 UniServ field rep Adrian Rodriguez and UniServ Consultant Chantal Rivers-Jasey.
“To the credit of the negotiations team, they committed to spending the settlement in a manner that addressed the issue of low ESP pay, even if that meant spending significantly higher percentages of the settlement on the ESP guides,” Rodriguez said.
At the table, Byock was joined by his officers First Vice President Terrance Henry, Second Vice President Nickarson Paul and Treasurer Lauren Greenfield. They worked hard to build a diverse group of team members including Secretary Rep-at-Large Sharon Stringer and Deborah Crowley, Certified Staff Rep-at-Large Shirley Henry, and Karen Diggs and Kenneth Hinnant, who represented the security officers.
Central to IEA’s negotiation strategy was forging a working relationship with the Superintendent of Schools April Vauss.
“Our superintendent, Dr. Vauss, recognized our need to make our salaries and wages more competitive,” Byock said. “We all can agree that our students ultimately benefit when our educators and ESPs see their take-home pay increasing.”
In addition, the agreement expands beyond immediate financial benefits. IEA members saw increases in tuition reimbursement, extracurricular stipends and stipends for uniforms and certifications.
“The only way to achieve a great settlement like this one is by having clear union values guiding the association’s decisions and its partners across the table,” Rodriguez said.
IEA’s message is clear: investing in our educators is investing in our students. As IEA celebrates this much deserved victory, the district and its schools are poised to benefit from a renewed energy and continued focus on excellence—a commitment forged by a new agreement which as Byock stated, “pays quality in order to get quality.”
David Yastremski teaches English and communication at Ridge High School in Bernards Township. He serves on the negotiations team for the Bernards Township Education Association and treasurer for the Somerset County Education Association. Yastremski is a part-time NJEA Communications Consultant. He can be reached at dyastremski@njea.org.
An award-worthy contract
Representing certified staff, secretaries and security officers, IEA successfully reached a deal despite previous years of mediation and impasse.
The agreement included:
- A 19.5% increase for all units over the five years of the agreement.
- A 3.9% annual increase average compared to the county average of 3.6%.
- ESP guides that were enhanced with larger percentages.
- BA guides for certified staff with an $80,000 starting salary by Year 5 of the contract.
- No additional steps on any of the guides.
- A 20% increase in hourly rates for certified staff.
- Tuition reimbursements doubled for secretaries and security guards.
- Increases in the uniform stipend for security guards.
- A reduced number of after-school meetings for certified staff.