Compensation News
We are excited to share that OPE has secured a 12.5% pay raise for the upcoming three years. The breakdown of the payout for each year and further information on compensation and benefits can be found in the documents linked in this memo.
Summary of 3-year salary package:
- Year 1: 3% COLA for all OPE members. Employees remain at current step.
- Year 2: 2.75% COLA and funding of steps for all OPE members. Step 25 will be added to the salary scale so that OPE members presently at step 24 will move to step 25; thereby, receiving a step increase. As a result, all OPE members receive a step increase.
- Year 3: 4.7% COLA for all OPE members. Employees will remain on their current step. There shall be no furloughs or layoffs of bargaining unit employees through FY27.
Master Agreement articles were added or modified and the tentative agreement can be referenced on the BCPSOPE website. Salary scales can be found on the BCPS website. Please remember that the agreement is tentative pending Baltimore County Council approval.
The new OPE Master Agreement will be posted on our website soon. Thank you for your ongoing support. If you have any questions, please send them to bcpsope@outlook.com and we will respond.
Comp Time
We are very aware of issues regarding comp time hours during the work week. As you know, since 2022, MOUs have been implemented to address issues and provide comp time. The current MOU expires on June 30, 2024.
Our team has been working with Joelle Bielski, Manager, Staff Relations and Performance Management, and Dr. Jess Grimm, Chief Operating Officer, to identify specific issues and explore possible remedies. We have shared data with them that many of you provided to us which has been extremely helpful. The issues are complex depending on the department and employees involved and cannot be easily resolved at this time.
In collaboration with Ms. Bielski and Dr. Grim, President Nick Argyros, Vice-President Cris Blasetti, and Lead Negotiator Lyle Patzkowsky will conduct an in-depth investigation of comp time data for the remainder of this fiscal year with the intent of identifying solutions that will be reasonable and fair to all employees at all levels of the school system. We have established regularly scheduled meetings to analyze data, identify all issues, and ultimately reach consensus on solutions.
Your continued input is vitally important to increasing our understanding of the critical issues and possible solutions. Any information and/or ideas that you have, please share them via bcpsope@outlook.com at your earliest convenience. As the year progresses, we will periodically update you as to our progress. At the end of the fiscal year, we will provide everyone with a summary report.