School support staff in the Orange Southwest Supervisory Union have settled a contract after 18 months of negotiations. School district negotiator Linda Minsinger says the settlement was pretty close to what was suggested by an outside fact-finder brought in after the two sides were unable to reach an agreement.
The unionized workers and the school boards of the three towns that make up the district must now ratify the contract. It could be a month before all the boards meet. Salaries and benefits for school-year employees were the main obstacles to an agreement. The fact-finder suggested a series of raises for the staff.