Letter: District Employees Unhappy with Compensation

[Editor's Note: The following is a Letter to the Editor submitted by the Belmont-Redwood Shores School District's classified employees union. Classified employees are those who hold non-teaching positions, such as para-educators, school office administrators, custodians, and computer/information technology professionals.]

Dear Editor;

At the May 17, 2012 board meeting of the Belmont Redwood Shores School District, 35 of the district's classified employees of the California School Employees Union (CSEA) came to express their disappointment and anger over the Districts reluctance to offer classified employees fair and equitable compensation, as has already been given to the teachers. To further add to CSEA's discontent, the Board will be giving an even greater compensation package to the district’s Administrator’s.

The majority of CSEA members are local Belmont and Redwood Shores residents who live here, work here, pay taxes here, vote here, and send their children to school in this district.

With banners held high and badges supporting their union, one by one speakers addressed the board to express their disappointment that the Board did not recognize the cuts and layoffs they have suffered, or the added burden of work that the increased enrollment has taken on CSEA employees in the past 6 years, all with no accompanying increase in compensation.

Each elementary school has grown by 100 students and the middle school by 300, and is still growing. This is an increase of 30% in work load. There are more teachers, administrators, students and parents to serve, more classrooms to clean and maintain, but there have been no increases in staffing of classified employees to handle the increased work load.

CSEA has also offered concessions to help offset the cost for their group receiving a “me too” agreement, but the board has rejected past offers. The rising cost of health care affects this group more dramatically because, collectively, they earn far less than their colleagues: the certificated, confidential, and administrative staff.

The next board meeting will be held Thursday, June 7, 2012 at 7pm at the district office, 2960 Hallmark Dr., Belmont.

~CSEA Chapter 308

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