UPDATED: B-BP Custodians Hold Silent Protest at BOE Workshop

Editor's Note: Information regarding Night Charge Custodian compensation has been clarified.

They filed in, filling over two rows of seats, but didn't say a word Tuesday night during the Bayport-Blue Point Board of Education workshop meeting held at the high school cafeteria.

The nearly dozen district custodians and maintenance workers attended the meeting in a silent protest over stalled contract negotiations in an effort to spur the district's negotiating team back to the table.

The members of CSEA Suffolk Educational Local 870 have been working under an extended contract that expired in June, 2011. According to union president John Marcinek, negotiating meetings have been few and far between, with the last one taking place shortly before former school superintendent Anthony Annuziato left this summer to take the school chief job at Smithtown schools.

"We want to get them back to the table and get a contract," said Marcinek, union president, adding that initial negotiation talk has included asking the custodians to take a one-year pay freeze.

"We are down a few staff, due to retirement and sick leave, and want to see when those positions will be refilled," added Marcinek.

The current contract, approved in July, 2007, is available for viewing and downloading on the district's website.

According to the contract, custodial staff are provided two personal days, 15 sick leave days, 10 days of vacation for the first year of employment and 20 days after 10 years of service. Staff get time and a half on snow and emergency calls with a guaranteed two hours of work during emergency calls. Night charge custodians receive an annual pay differential of $2,500.

The contract also stipulates longevity pay of $625 for a decade of service and $775 for 20 years.

The custodian job starts with a pay rate of $35,411 and increases to $44,684 on a step basis. The head custodian job starts at $40,386 and ranges to $51,680. The chief custodian job pays $85,201. Drivers, messengers and grounds keepers salary ranges have a starting base of $36,768 and cap at $46,709.

The maintenance mechanic initial salary is $39,030 and that increases on step range to $49,654. The senior maintenance mechanic starts at $42,460 and tops out at $54,269.

Also at issue is whether the school district plans to replace the department's top custodial manager, Plant Facilities Administrator Gerald Doroski, who announced his retirement at the end of the summer and left at the start of the school year.

The job oversees all custodial, maintenance, fleet operation and repair as well as grounds keeping staff and approves any and all overtime labor requests.

Both Bayport-Blue Point Interim School Superintendent Neil Lederer and Board of Education President James March declined to comment on the contract negotiation.