The Brighton Board of Education and its support union have reached tentative agreement on wages and other aspects of the union contract.

In addition, the district this summer is involved in a salary and benefits re-opener with the Brighton Education Association. BESPA - the Brighton Educational Support Personnel Association - includes about 100 secretaries, food service employees, para-professionals and ancillary service personnel. The employees are entering the fourth year of a five-year contract. Superintendent Greg Gray tells WHMI that if ratified by both sides, the contract changes will give the BESPA employees a 2% pay increase for the 2017-18 fiscal year. He adds the amount will be made part of the wage scale so that it won’t be a one-time increase.

The changes will also extend the contract through 2020, with wage and benefits re-openers each year. Gray says he is optimistic that the membership will ratify it in the near future and that it will come up for board ratification in August. On another front, Gray says only two formal negotiation sessions have been held with the Brighton Education Association - which represents the district’s 300 teachers. The BEA will be in the fourth year of its five-year contract, with a salary and benefits re-opener this year and next. Gray says the two sides will get down to brass tacks after teachers’ union officials return from summer conferences and seminars. (TT)