Less than half the membership of the Service Employees
International Union Local 521 unanimously voted Wednesday evening
to give members the authorization to strike if mediation between
the local school trustees and union officials fails this March.
Morgan Hill – Less than half the membership of the Service Employees International Union Local 521 unanimously voted Wednesday evening to give members the authorization to strike if mediation between the local school trustees and union officials fails this March.
A total of 146 members voted in favor of the authorization during a meeting at Paradise Elementary School. The rest of union members didn’t vote due to different reasons such as jobs and other commitments.
The 300-plus union members are employees of the Morgan Hill Unified School District. They are classified workers who are bus drivers, custodians, clerks, food service workers and aides.
SEIU Chairwoman Pam Torrisi emphasized to the group that the vote they were taking was not a vote to strike.
“This does not mean we will go on strike,” she said. “This is just the authorization to do so if we need to.”
The union and district leadership have broken off contract negotiations and are scheduled for mediation with a state representative March 13. The dispute is over the percentage of raise the district is offering the workers. Union members say the want the same pay increase as the other two bargaining units, the Morgan Hill Federation of Teachers and the Morgan Hill Educational Leaders Association.
Both groups received a 5 percent pay increase. District officials say their offer of an 8 percent increase over two years, which includes benefits and could include a negotiated pay increase next year, is fair.
MHUSD Superintendent Alan Nishino was unavailable for comment because he is attending a conference out of state; however, he made a statement through Assistant Superintendent Jay Totter.
“The district was surprised and disappointed that some of the SEIU membership took this action in advance of the scheduled mediation on March 13,” Totter said. “The district will continue to work with the SEIU leadership and the state mediator. The district believes that the current offer of an 8 percent increase in total compensation over two years plus and additional cost of living increase next year is fair; it is larger than that offered to the other employee groups. The district hopes that the state mediator will help us to resolve our differences.”
SEIU member Christy Schwartz said Wednesday night that she would like to see an original offer that she said district officials have said they made to union negotiators.
“Show us and let’s talk about it,” she said. “All of these people (at the meeting) didn’t hear it wrong. Let’s talk about it.”
Pete Solomon, a longtime district employee, said classified workers are feeling like third class citizens because of the situation.
“Nobody wants to go on strike, but when you see the way they treat us, it is something we have to consider,” he said. “They don’t feel they have to give us a fair offer, and that has created a lot of bitterness.”
Torrisi agreed with Solomon.
“I’m really hoping that we won’t have to do that,” she said Thursday. “That’s not what any of us wants.”
SEIU member Donna Campos said she also feels the district does not respect the classified employees, who say they make much less than classified employees in other districts.
“They want to pay for anything except for us,” she said.
MHUSD Board of Education President Peter Mandel said he is hopeful there will be no need for the strike and does not understand why the vote was taken.
“I’m baffled and disappointed that the union is undermining the mediation process by taking this vote just days before mediation is to begin,” Mandel said. “The union stopped direct negotiations in November and called for state mediation. I have been hopeful that mediation … will help us to find an agreement acceptable to both sides. It is unfortunate that SEIU leadership has now encouraged their members to take a vote that undermines the mediation efforts that they themselves initiated. Despite this action by the union, I still hope mediation will succeed. I value and respect the district’s employees and the contribution they make to the success and well being of our students.”
Totter would not comment on the district’s contingency plan should union members strike.
“We think it’s premature to be addressing the strike possibility at present time and are putting all of our efforts into mediation,” he said.
