Strike called after school board rejects union pleas

letter to Superintendent Judith Clark expressing their disappointment with the decision from the board to rHMHcW WhH IDcW-findinJ rHSorW Dnd oIficiDlly DnnouncHd WhH strike.

As of press time, McDowell said there had been nothing scheduled as far as both sides coming to the bargaining table.

“Nothing has changed,” she said, adding she has received “numerous emails, phone calls and text messages from parents concerned about strangers” entering the school buildings during the work stoppage.

As for the district, “we’re hoSinJ WhHy do WhH riJhW thing,” she said.

According to the district’s website, the district’s chief negotiator, -HIIrHy T. SulWDniN, PDdH contact with the state labor mediator and requested a EDrJDininJ sHssion TuHsdDy, OcW. 23.

Sultanik said the district had attempted “albeit unsuccHssIully” Wo schHdulH a meeting with the union representative. ee said so far the union representative remains “nonresponsive.” As of press time, Sultanik said nothing had changed between the two sides, noting the union representative was not cooperating with the state mediator to scheduling a bargaining session.

During the meeting, the school board issued a statement regarding the negotiations and the intention to solicit proposals to subcontract vendors.

ThH sWDWHPHnW sDid WhH district has been “sustaining challenges to its econoPic susWDinDEiliWy,” noWing it paid more for health EHnHfiWs Dnd rHWirHPHnW EHnHfiWs “in ordHr Wo Iund the state’s underfunded rHWirHPHnW sysWHP.” ThH EoDrd DddHd WhH EHnHfiWs HxcHHd WhosH WDxSDyHrs rHceive working non-governmental jobs and said support staff union members who worN Iour hours D dDy are eligible for health benHfiWs.

ThH inDEiliWy Wo rDisH WDxHs EHyond WhH sWDWHsSHcifiHd AcW 1 indHx hDs complicated matters, the board said, adding it tries to provide fair wages and EHnHfiWs EuW cDn’W incur Hxpenditures exceeding the revenue it can accrue under WhH AcW 1 indHx.

,n 2006, WhH AcW 1 indHx was 4.9 percent but has IDllHn Wo 1.7 SHrcHnW Ior WhH 2013-14 school yHDr, Dccording to the board.

ThH EoDrd hDs only DSproved a tax increase in Wwo oI WhH lDsW sHvHn yHDrs.

fn the statement, the board asked a number of questions, including, “eow PDny oI you DrH SDid DW WhH WoS oI your indusWry? How PDny oI you in Whis coPPuniWy DrH HliJiElH Wo rHcHivH D hHDlWh EHnHfiW SroJrDP DIWHr only worNinJ Iour hours SHr dDy or 20 hours D wHHN? How PDny oI our WDxSDyHrs will EH SrHSDrHd Wo SDy Ior WhH $1,875,000 cost and forget about all of the other needed expendiWurHs oI WhH disWricW? How PDny oI you EHliHvH WhDW iW is SrudHnW Wo coPSlHWHly ignore the potential cost savings in subcontracting services (transportation, secretarial, custodial and WhH liNH) siPSly EHcDusH wH hDvH DlwDys donH our EusinHss usinJ our HPSloyHHs in Whis wDy?”

ThH union only DJrHHd Wo meet face-to-face one time SrHcHdinJ WhH IDcW-findinJ process, the board said. ft said the union “dropped the EDll” Ey indicDWinJ iW would not meet over the summer PonWhs, Dnd Ey wDnWinJ Wo meet in September, it made a number of provisions to WhH IDcW-findHr’s rHcoPmendations inapplicable EHcDusH WhHy hDd HxSirHd AuJ. 1.

ThH EoDrd rHiWHrDWHd WhH only wDy Wo worN ouW WhH issues is for the union to come to the bargaining table, then said WEA Business Agent Drew Muir has refused a number of opportunities to do so.

ThH EoDrd DddHd WhDW WhH strike will hurt students who need one-on-one services because of their fndividualized Education ProJrDPs or SHcWion 504 plans, and will be deprived of those services or have different individuals providing those services. ft said the strike will also hurt parents and students who rHly on WrDnsSorWDWion, the buildings will not be as clean as the board expects and administrators will devote more time to providing specialized services instead of dealing with “broader building-based curricular and other issues WhDW DrH nHcHssDry Ior WhH dHlivHry oI our HducDWionDl program.”

ThH EoDrd Dlso sDid Ds IDr as subcontracting services Jo, iW is currHnWly soliciWinJ proposals to see how great a difference the cost would be and is not a guarantee.

Bargaining unit services cannot be subcontracted unless the board negotiates wiWh WhH W(A Ey lDw.

fn a response statement, McDowell said, “At last night’s meeting, with hundreds of people showing their support wearing red, the district told the members that an unfair labor SrDcWicH wDs filHd DJDinsW the WEA for refusal to bargain, when in fact, the WEA negotiator, Drew Muir, requested several bargaining dates that are wHll-docuPHnWHd Ey HPDil during the month of September and the district did not respond. f assume that this was due to the fact that the board was in the process of changing negotiators and someone forgot to pass the request along.”

McDowHll wHnW on Wo sDy WhH union inWHndHd Wo filH an unfair labor practice in April, but out of respect for the working relationship it had with the board, it held off and instead entered the IDcW-findinJ SrocHss.

“ThH W(A is PorH WhDn willing to work on the language in the report once the district accepts the terms, as we have done PDny WiPHs in WhH SDsW. All WhHy hDvH Wo do is hDvH their negotiator pick up the phone and call our negotiator and this contract will sHWWlH Srior Wo WhH OcW. 29 sWriNH dDWH,” McDowHll sDid. “ThH coPPuniWy needs to realize, that once this report is placed aside, the original proposals will coPH inWo SlDy. ,I you rHDd WhH IDcW-findHr’s rHSorW, WhH full proposals are in that rHSorW Dnd you will noWicH, how much further apart we will be. Bargaining should ErinJ you closHr WoJHWhHr, noW IurWhHr DSDrW. ThH coPSroPisH is WhH only soluWion for labor peace.”