BUSD reaches agreement with classified employees

The Bonsall Unified School District approved a contract with the district’s classified employees.

A 5-0 BUSD board vote Feb. 13, approved the contract between the school district and the California School Employees Association chapter for Bonsall.

“We’re pleased that we came to an agreement,” BUSD superintendent David Jones said.

Ratification of the agreement had initially been planned for the January BUSD board meeting.

“The negotiating team, the CSEA and our team, we were very much in agreement,” Jones said.

When the proposed agreement was reviewed by the actual classified employees concerns were raised. The issue of concern was the agreement article covering vacation.

“There were some employees who would have been sort of forced to take vacation days,” Jones said.

The previous version of the proposed agreement required 10-month, 11-month and 12-month classified employees other than system analysts and grounds, maintenance and custodial staff to take vacation or other nonpaid days during the Thanksgiving, winter and spring recess periods.

“We just removed the whole thing,” Jones said. “By removing that they now have the option, kind of an either or option.”

The agreement stipulates that April 22, which is the day after Easter, will be a non-work paid holiday and will not count against classified employees’ vacation days.

The new agreement clarifies the definition of immediate family which now includes adopted and foster children, stepchildren, legal wards or other children with dependency status as well as biological children, includes stepparents, foster parents, legal guardians or other functional parents as well as biological parents for both the employee and the employee’s significant other and treats registered domestic partners equivalent to spouses. The old agreement also stipulated that any relative living in the immediate household was also considered immediate family, and that was deleted in the updated agreement.

The school district pays for classified employees’ health maintenance organization coverage while also contributing $4,200 per year for an employee and an additional family beneficiary for family medical, dental or vision costs. The additional contribution is an increase from the previous $2,000, and if the Bonsall Teachers Association agreement negotiates an increase in the health and welfare benefits that increase will also apply to classified employees. If both parents are CSEA members the benefit contribution can be combined, which is a new clause.

Sick leave may now be used for the diagnosis, care or treatment of a family member as well as for the employee, and an employee may also now take sick leave if they are a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking. Upon the birth of a child or the placement of an adopted or foster child, a CSEA member may take up to 12 weeks of family leave and will be paid 50 percent of their salary if the employee has exhausted their sick leave benefits. A member who does not want to use their sick leave can take up to 12 unpaid weeks of family leave.

“Just pleased that the board approved it, and we’re moving forward,” Jones said.