Union Responds to Nishino
Dear Editor,
I feel compelled to respond to Morgan Hill Superintendent Alan Nishino’s Nov. 10 guest column about the labor dispute with school classified employees. We only want equality with the other bargaining units. We do not want more than what they have received. We just want the same thing. We want a 5 percent salary increase and an increase in our benefit package.
Nishino said we “declined” to discuss benefits last year. Not true. We were offered a 2 percent raise and told to divide it how we wanted.
Sound familiar? It should. That is what we were told this year also. We were not given the option of a three-year package. If we had been we would have taken it, just as the other units did.
Nishino also said if we had taken their previous offer it would have resulted in a 12 percent raise for some employees. I am one of those employees who would have gotten the 12 percent. The problem with this is one-third to one-half of our members do not take the benefit package. That means they would only have gotten a 2-3 percent raise depending on which offer we went with. It was a great offer for me personally. The problem is: I was elected to represent all classified employees, not just myself.
Nishino also wrote about the 7 percent the district pays towards our retirement. He wasn’t here at the time and may not know the history. That was an offer the district put forward in lieu of a raise many years ago. We accepted it to our detriment. If we had not our Social Security and our Public Employees’ Retirement System we would have been reflecting that amount all these years. Other districts pay between $10,000 and $12,000 on employee benefits. Our district only pays $5,200. Even if we got the full package the other units in our district got we still have a long way to go to catch up with other districts. As do the teachers.
As for the five years of medical after we retire. That was another offer of the district in lieu of a raise. We have people who have been with this district for 20 years and are not yet in their 50s, much less the required 55. How can something be taken from them they have been planning their lives around? It is breaking a promise that was made to them as an aside that has been a hiring incentive to get people to work here. It’s been a carrot if you will.
I am sorry this has gone to mediation. I am hoping it can be resolved in an amicable manner. The board of trustees has heard many speakers on this subject. I am hoping and have faith they will listen to our concerns and be sensitive to our needs.
Pamela Torrisi, Morgan Hill
Chapter chair, Service Employees International Union
Councilwoman-elect Lee Thanks Supporters
Dear Editor,
I would like to thank the voters of Morgan Hill and all of the people who worked on my campaign for City Council. I am so grateful for all the support that I received and I am looking forward to serving the residents of Morgan Hill over the next four years. I would also like to extend my thanks to all candidates who ran for office for making this not only a competitive, but also a very respectable race. I think throughout the campaign, while we didn’t agree on some of the issues, we always treated each other with courtesy and respect for our views, and this speaks well for our city. Congratulations to Mayor-elect Steve Tate and Councilman Greg Sellers. I am looking forward to working with them, the rest of the council and all of city staff.
Marby Lee, Morgan Hill
Morgan Hill Councilwoman-elect
