ADAMS TWP — Members of the support personnel workers union in the Mars School District say they are disappointed that the school board offered a proposal that takes spouse and family health care benefits away from all members, and especially those who have worked for the district for decades

Brooke Witt of the Mars Area Education Support Personnel Association told the board at its meeting Tuesday that the board is not taking into account the years of dedication to education demonstrated by the secretaries, paraprofessionals and custodians who provide services at the district.

Witt said that of the 75 employees in the union, 16 use the spouse or family health care benefits.

Witt said removing those benefits represents a savings of about $160,000 in a district that sees a 3 percent to 4 percent revenue increase each year and hasn't raised taxes in nine years.

“There was frustration that there is such a disparity,” Witt said. “We're talking about 0.35 percent of their total budget; that's what we're arguing over here.”

The two sides have been in negotiations since January 2015.

Most recently, the school district's negotiator, attorney Tom Breth, offered the union a proposal that includes wage increases but threatens to replace the district's custodians with contracted employees if a contract were not settled by Sept. 1.

“They said they want to move from a benefit-heavy compensation package to a wage-driven compensation package,” Witt said.

She said the district's wage increases are certainly not enough to cover the cost of buying health insurance for a spouse or children.

Witt said the union has agreed to many concessions, including a two-year wage freeze.

“They have no regard for the years of service provided to the school district, and they don't seem to care that they live in the community and are vested in making the Mars School District a great place to send their kids,” she said.

Diane Aiken voiced this contention at the Tuesday night school board meeting, which was attended by about 20 support personnel.

“Employees shouldn't be forced to decide between giving up their own health care or putting a fellow employee out of a job,” Aiken said.

She said the association's workers who have put in 10 or more years shouldn't be faced with losing their health care to save their job.

“These dedicated employees are the ones the board has targeted,” Aiken said. “They have the most to lose.”

Former union member Candy Mathews said it is sad that the board is willing to outsource the jobs of the dedicated support personnel.

She asked the board if the health care benefits of administrators, teachers and others in the district would also be eliminated.

Witt said the two sides will hold a bargaining session next Wednesday, and the union will have a counter proposal.

“It's a very disheartening situation and it's hard for me to go to these people time and time again and say, 'Your employer doesn't care if you work there, and you're all disposable,'” Witt said. “We're hoping the district will be fair and reasonable next week and compromise and not devastate these folks.”

The school board members did not make a comment on Tuesday night on the negotiations.