Crusader staff report
District attorney Dan Friel said on Tuesday, Nov. 28, the Gary Teachers Union signed a new contract with the struggling Gary Community School Corp.
Because the district is under state-control, the new contract must be approved by the Distressed Unit Appeals Board, Friel said.
Friel said the contract does not provide a pay increase and is similar to past years, although the agreement requires a medical excuse for teachers who have shown a pattern of absenteeism.
GTU President GlenEva Dunham said in one news report that the organization is happy that the contract was settled and that the group didn’t lose anything.
The new contract is retroactive to July 1 and expires June 30. New teachers will earn a salary of $40,500. Friel said the amount is comparable to other Lake County school districts. Friel said under the new contract, teachers would continue to pay the same percentage of health insurance. The contract requires the district to pick up 80 percent of the costs.
Teachers will get a pay increase based on their ratings on teacher performance evaluations, which will be conducted in the future.
