How to Help Protect the Jobs of Scarborough Custodians and Food Service Employees

You can help protect the pay and benefits and retain our custodians and food service employees

The custodial/food service employees need your support.  The School Board wants to drastically reduce their wages and benefits to below a “living wage.” Now is the time for ACTION!

These employees’ contract expired in June 2012.  Traditional negotiations for a successor agreement came to a halt when three bids came in to outsource the custodial services.  Talks then shifted in response to the Board’s interest in saving money.  After a great deal of research, the Association recently presented the Board with ways to reorganize staff and increase efficiency of operations for a potential savings of approximately $300,000.  These proposals would have preserved bargaining unit staff at their current wages and benefits.

The Association’s proposals to save in the ballpark of $300,000 were rejected by the Board in a recent meeting.  Instead, the Board proposed cutting not only custodial, but also food service, wages and benefits to generate a savings comparable to the $300,000.

As we plan our next steps for community and Association Member support we will need to keep in frequent contact with you. Please connect with us:

·         Find us on Facebook “Scarborough Education Association”

·         Follow our blog: http://scarborougheducationassociation.blogspot.com/

·         Follow us on twitter: SEA_Maine

·         Email us: seamaine@gmail.com and we can add your personal email to a distribution list

·         Let us know if you need paper copies of information mailed to your home. Leave a message at 730-4600 with your address.

 

We need you to take action!

·         Talk to other staff members, parents and community members about the importance of keeping our schools safe for students and staff with valuable employees we know and who are invested in their jobs.

·         Write to and call the Scarborough School Board members and tell them you do not support their consideration to drastically cut wages and benefits for the custodial/food service staff and that you do support paying school employees a living wage comparable with other school communities in the area.  As taxpayers and/or an Association member show your support for quality employees and the safety of staff, students and community members in your schools.

o   Please make your voice heard and contact your Board members today:

Board Members, Email Address and Phone Numbers

Christine Massengill               cmassengill@scarborough.k12.me.us         885-1288

John Cole                                 jcole@scarborough.k12.me.us                      239-0268

Aymie Hardesty                      ahardesty@scarborough.k12.me.us             883-5742

Donna Beeley                          dbeeley@scarborough.k12.me.us                883-3993

Jacquelyn Perry                       jperry@scarborough.k12.me.us                    883-2451

Kelly Murphy                           kmurphy@scarborough.k12.me.us               883-9610

Christopher Caiazzo                ccaiazzo@scarborough.k12.me.us               883-6482

Sadie Tirrell, Junior High School Student Representative

            Katherine Elliot, Senior High School Student Representative

o   All Board members receive post mail at the following address: Scarborough School Department; Attn: “school board member’s name”; P.O. Box 370; Scarborough, ME; 04070-0370.

The community support we build throughout this crisis will be critical to keeping our fellow employees in good jobs with a living wages and benefits. Please join us in keeping the Association strong and prevent the loss of the jobs of fellow employees we count on every day to keep our school safe and running smoothly.

More suggestions and actions will be posted on this blog. With the support from members, taxpayers and the general public we can beat this plan which would result in the loss of our valued staff.
 
Crystal Goodrich

SEA President

SEA Notes Before Summer!

Hello SEA members -

 

1. I have received a couple of questions about this year's change in schedule for the last day of school. The last day for students is Friday, June 17 - this will be a full day with students.

 

The contract changed this year.  The last day of school was 1/2 day for students and 1/2 day for teachers to wrap up their room. Since the Board changed the last day, all Administrators have been asked by the superintendent to use the 1/2 day  (2 hours) for professional development. Several of the buildings have had meetings on the last day, so this is new for the high school to be in line with the rest of the school district.

 

2. The request for the MEA attorney to review the school board policies was overlooked (that is why there has been such a long wait for an answer), but I finally have an answer. The attorney said after reviewing the policies that the policies, as they are written, are legal and reasonable. If people have further questions about the policies please ask me directly. The reps. have fielded several questions and there are not new answers for these questions but some people may want more clarification. Please email me if you do.

 

I do understand that these are changes and for some of us they may be difficult to adjust to but they are important to follow under our contract. If you have more concerns please let me know, but as they are they are within the scope of the contract. If any one has had difficulty with the School Board policies the best thing to do is contact me or a representative right away. I have not heard of anyone having any difficulty following the policies, so I am assuming this is not a problem.

 

3.  After a lengthy process of working on the Reduction In Force list Jo Anne Sizemore and I met with some staff on Tuesday, June 21. I can't stress enough how difficult this process has been - our job is making sure we follow the contract while trying to balance the needs of the schools and the students as well as the staff within that contract. Other SEA members and I have been involved every step of the way and I feel confident the contract was followed as it was written.

 

Many members have expressed concerns regarding how RIF is written, what trainings and committees can be submitted as points / qualifies as points, and what to turn in. This summer I will be working with Jo Anne and administration to come up with a "training" or workshop where members can come and learn more about RIF and what they should submit so the points next year are accurate. Those meetings will be sent out at the beginning of next year. Check the Sweb in the fall for dates and times.

 

Please let me know if you have any questions,

 

Thank you, and I hope the last couple of weeks of school go well for everyone.

 

Crystal Goodrich

ESP Contract Negotiations Begin!

THE ESP CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS ARE BEGINNING!!!!

WE NEED MEMBER INPUT!!!!

 

An ESP Member Meeting will be held:

 

WHEN:  Wed. April 6th, at 3:45 pm

AT: Wentworth Intermediate in the Occupational Therapy Kitchen, near the Art Rooms and the Gym.

WHY: Contract Negotiations

 

Bring your ideas for what you want in your contract for the next three years.

 

If you can't make the meeting you can:

 

E-mail your ideas to seamaine@gmail.com

OR

Contact any of the Negotiations Team Members:

Bob White at WI

Bruce Caron at MS

Marsha Twombley at WI

Robyn Carrier at HS

Sue Leighton at HS

Rebecca Zafonte at EC

 

We hope to hear from you!

thanks,

Crystal Goodrich

SEA President