State mediating agency reportedly begins reconciliatory
process
Morgan Hill – Purple shirts and protest signs again filled the board room at the Morgan Hill Unified School District Tuesday night as the district’s classified employees complained about the trustees’ alleged refusal to meet with them regarding contract negotiations.
The workers, who are members of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), are the district’s lowest paid employees in positions such as bus drivers, groundskeepers, maintenance, custodians, mechanical, clerical, food service and classroom aides.
Union members have been working without a contract since July.
SEIU Chair Pamela Torrisi said union members are waiting for the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) representative to set up mediation between the district and union members.
PERB is a quasi-judicial administrative agency charged with administering the collective bargaining statutes covering employees of California’s public schools, colleges, and universities as well as many state public agency employees.
After negotiations in October stalled, the union filed paperwork with PERB requesting mediation. Torrisi said she was told by the PERB representative that district officials said they did not feel the situation was an impasse; the representative then instructed district officials to invite the union back to the table with another offer, Torrisi said, but the district did not do so.
Classified workers say they are not asking for anything unreasonable from the district, they just want the same 5 percent salary increase that was given to teachers and Superintendent Alan Nishino.
Following a last-ditch attempt at negotiations in October, the district changed its offer slightly.
The district proposed 8 percent total compensation over two years, according to Nishino. Effective this year, the salary would increase 4 percent and benefits would increase 2 percent from $5,022 to $5,900 per year and union members would work one additional day per year.
In the second year of the two-year offer, benefits would increase from $5,900 to $6,700 per year, employees would work two additional days, and the retirement benefits would change for members, giving them benefits up to age 65, instead of benefits for five years, regardless of age of retirement.
The union could negotiate for additional salary increase next year, Nishino added.
Tuesday night, trustees approved a 5 percent increase for Morgan Hill Educational Leaders Association (MHELA) members, who are district administrators.
Before the increase was approved, Trustee Shelle Thomas made a motion, seconded by Trustee Bart Fisher, to postpone the increase until the SEIU’s mediation was completed. She told the board an administrator had asked her, out of respect for classified workers, to make the motion.
Thomas’ motion was defeated, 0-6, as trustees balked at “holding hostage” another bargaining unit.
During a district budget discussion, Deputy Superintendent Bonnie Tognazzini pointed out funds set aside for the 5 percent MHELA increase as well as 5 percent for SEIU. But Thomas questioned what the 5 percent included, and the SEIU 5 percent would not be a salary increase alone but would also include benefits.
Marilyn Dubil covers education and law enforcement for The Times. Reach her at (408) 779-4106 ext. 202 or at md****@*************es.com.
