Health District Board Approves Employee Contract

By Jan Howard

The Board of Directors of Newtown Department of Health has unanimously approved a contract with the district’s newly formed Newtown Health District Employees Association.

Director of Environmental Health Donna McCarthy, who represented the four-member association, said on July 18 the contract is basically the same as the previous one, with a few minor changes. The employees recently ratified the contract.

The new contract is for one year. It includes a three percent salary increase, a small increase in educational reimbursement per employee from $850 to $1,000, and minor changes in the language of the bereavement clause.

In regard to the bereavement clause, Ms McCarthy said, “It’s a little bit more flexible. Everybody’s situation is different.”

The Health District Employees Association recently received recognition from the state Board of Labor. The employees were previously affiliated with the Connecticut State Employees Association Local 760.