Rockford school workers keep up the fight
UPDATE, AUG. 12: Hundreds of food-service workers, paraprofessionals and bus drivers will picket for a fair contract outside the Board of Education meeting (501 7th St. in Rockford) on Tuesday, Aug. 13 at 5 p.m. If you live in Winnebago County, make plans to be there and show your support!
For the second time in recent weeks, Rockford school paraprofessionals and food-service workers turned out to press the school board for a fair contract that recognizes the valuable services they provide for children in the community.
Dozens of support staff – many of whom help teachers work with physically and mentally disabled children, as well as those who feed students breakfast and lunch – turned out for the District 205 School Board’s meeting on July 9, just as they had for another meeting earlier this year. They also drew support from teachers and others in the community and their fight has been covered by local media like WIFR-TV:
Paraprofessionals in District 205 are not backing down when it comes to contract negotiations. Dozens of them showed up to tonight's school board meeting to express their frustrations.
Paras and nutrition service workers protested before tonight's meeting, demanding what they call a fair contract. They also made their voices heard inside the meeting.
The Rockford paraprofessionals and food-service workers have gone five years without a raise, yet the school board’s negotiating team is trying to make employees accept a new health plan that would actually decrease workers’ take-home pay. They are members of AFSCME Locals 692 and 3210. Bus drivers are represented by AFSCME Local 1275.
“This is not a job that just anyone can do,” said Marilyn Smallwood, a paraprofessional who testified at the hearing. “I cannot understand why we do not have a reasonable contract after one year of negotiations.”
School board members have so far not participated directly in negotiations, something Local 692 President Betty Christensen believes has helped lead to the current stalemate.
“Come to the negotiating table and see what’s going on,” she told the board. “Don’t just hear it from someone else.”