Bargaining Session 2: 

Districts Counters

Click Here - Bargaining Session One!

Opening Statement By President Michelle:

"I just want to start by saying BACE is committed to working together with you and  the district to get a fair contract that is a representation of how the district feels about their classified staff. We all know you cannot run this district without us. Kraig himself has said this district depends on the classified staff and how vital we all are to the success and well being to all Bethel Students.

Classified staff are dedicated professionals who maintain buildings, transport students, feed , ensure safety and educate the students every day. Despite this many classified staff are struggling to afford essential expenses such as heat in the winter, housing costs because we can not afford rent, groceries, transportation, health care and child care.  Some employees are working second or third jobs, relying on credit, or delaying medical care simply to make ends meet.  Many have to rely on state assistance.  This level of financial strain is not sustainable and is taking a real toll on employees morale, retention and overall well being.  All the classified staff have said this is their main concern.  We are not being paid a living wage.  One job should be enough.  We should not have to rely on snap or food banks or go without seeing a doctor or a dentist.  We should be able to afford to buy the clothes we need to do our jobs like buying non-skid shoes and getting the required certifications

For many of us classified employees, the cost of health insurance has become a significant financial burden.  Rising premiums deductibles and out of pocket expenses consume an increasing portion of already modest wage.  As a result, employees are forced to make difficult choices between maintaining health coverage and meeting basic needs.

Health insurance is a fundamental part of employee compensation, not an optional benefit.  When the district contributions fail to keep pace with rising costs, the financial strain is shifted directly onto classified staff, we are the lowest paid employees in the district.  This undermines financial stability and places employees and their families at risk.  

Increasing the district contribution toward health insurance would provide relief to classified staff.  It would help ensure access to necessary medical care, reduce financial stress and improve employee retention and morale. Supporting the health and well being of classified employees strengthens the entire school community and enhances the district's ability to attract and retain dedicated staff.

Classified staff are often on the front lines of student interaction.  They are frequently the first to respond to behavioral incidents, yet many do without adequate training, support, or protections.  Increasingly our members are exposed to verbal abuse, physical aggression and unsafe working conditions as a result of unmanaged or escalating student behavior.  We need to work together to help support our employees with training that gives them the tools they need to do their jobs more effectively and to keep them safe. We need training for physically demanding or high-liability tasks like toileting and student safety—it is crucial that this time is paid, scheduled during work hours, and led by qualified professionals.

When things do happen, we need to make sure there are safety protocols in place and time to properly fill out the necessary paperwork on the clock.   

BACE believes that health and safety are not optional standards, but fundamental rights in every work space.   

BACE believes we need to have concise language in our contract that allows employees to take sick leave before and after a holiday and get that holiday paid.  Too many staff have not been paid for the holiday when taking sick leave because they need surgery or they need to see a specialist.  We all know when seeing a specialist you take the first appointment because it could be a very long time before you get  another appointment. Many staff use winter break for surgeries, this makes it easier on the district and the students.  When they do this they do not get paid for 2 holidays. There also should be reasons why an employee needs the day before or after a holiday that might be out of their control. This too should be a reason to get the holiday pay.  We need to come together and have language around this so employees can take the time they need as well as getting the pay they need.  

We hope you take our proposal with sincere consideration and we look forward to getting this contract signed."

Opening Statement by Bargaining Chair Ginny:
"The staff that sit before you have been with Bethel from 1998 to 2023. From 3 years to 28 years! 155 years combined experience. An average of 11 years.  We have a few that have been through this negotiation process before and several that are fresh. Each person brings a unique perspective and has been instrumental in making sure we are bringing forth a contract worthy for our peers. 

As we methodically went through the current CBA, article by article, we made sure to see it not just from our opinion, our own experience but the voices of all classified staff. We made sure that what we are presenting doesn’t just benefit the mass majority, it benefits our colleagues that have the odd schedules, the few that have unique positions, but ultimately every staff and student in Bethel. Our goal was a clear, responsible, sustainable, equitable contract that encourages work life harmony, and aims at helping us get better at getting better. Our students need us. We love our students. We need a work environment that everyone wants to come back to. 

What we have here is the cumulation of 9 Evening Bargaining Prep sessions = 18 plus hours / 2 Saturday work sessions = 10 plus hour / 1 Mass Member Meeting = 2 hours / 14 Classified contracts from schools similar to ours / Several chat threads, lots of phone calls and even more emails! 

We acknowledge we are very fortunate to be working for Bethel School District. As several districts seem to be crumbling around us we seem to be holding steady. We have an Admin we know we can work closely with and a pretty great team of people here at the DO and B.S. As we submit our proposal we hope you truly understand and take the time to see how we curated this to create a relevant, responsive and joyful contract to support us in providing a learning community where all our students truly thrive."

Stronger Together, United for our Students!