Ledyard town council approves new teacher contract

Nov. 23--LEDYARD -- The Town Council unanimously has approved a new three-year contract with the teachers' union, which calls for small raises and a move to a high-deductible health insurance plan.

The contract, which the council approved last week, calls for a raise for most experienced teachers of 1.75 percent and 1.65 percent in 2016-17 and 2017-18 respectively, and then a general wage increase of 1.62 percent in the 2018-19 academic year.

The stipend for summer school, training and curriculum development done outside of school time also was increased from $26 to $28 an hour.

The changes to the health insurance plan involved eliminating the Preferred Provider Organization, or PPO, and BlueCare plans and replacing them with an Anthem high-deductible health plan with a health saving account.

The deductible will be $2,000 for individuals and $4,000 for families, with costs after the deductible being paid completely by the insurance for in-network services, while additional coinsurance costs can be incurred out of network.

The Board of Education will contribute 50 percent of the deductible to an employee's HSA, with the employee paying a 19 percent premium each year of the contract.

The contract notes that the Affordable Care Act will impose an excise tax on plans valued above certain thresholds in 2018, and says if the tax is applied to the HDHP, that will trigger a mid-term renegotiation of the health plan.

They also will meet each year to review other Connecticut Insurance Plan offerings.

"Negotiations was a give and take," Ledyard Education Association President Christine Thurlow-Hansen said in a statement. "We didn't get everything we were hoping for, but believe this is a fair contract for teachers and the town we serve."

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