MAKING A STATEMENT

Many were left wondering what was going on along Highway 140 at the old Frost Shop lot last Thursday, May 14, as they took to social media.

Several people questioned what the protest was about when in actuality, it was a rally where the classified staff of Mariposa County Unified School District and community members were continuing to advocate for a higher pay raise.

The group held signs and chanted phrases involving equal and fair pay sentiments before marching across Highway 140 and up Old Highway North toward the district administration building where the monthly school board meeting was to take place.

As the doors opened for the meeting, the group filed into the meeting room, filling it to capacity.

Classified staff

The California School Employees Association (CSEA) and the school district have been in pay rate negotiations for a about year now and have yet to come to an agreement.

Classified staff are school district employees in positions that do not typically require a teaching credential or state certification, providing essential support to students, teachers and school functionality.

These positions include roles such as paraprofessionals, secretaries, custodians, bus drivers and food service workers among others.

Many classified employees feel unsupported by the district as the cost of living continues to rise along insurance rates.

Public comment

The only topic of public comment during the May 14 school board meeting was the classified staff pay raise.

Sarah Johnson is a Social Emotional Learning Aide at Mariposa Elementary School.

“On paper my job seems pretty straightforward. I teach social emotional learning lessons to a variety of grade levels,” she explained.

Johnson explained that things are “rarely that simple,” especially when it comes to children.

She spoke about connecting with children and making adjustments for each child. Not only is she a SEL aide but she helps with several other tasks.

“I’m also in charge of our new student store,” she said.

She explained the extra responsibilities are making order lists, updating and storing items, updating the website with pictures, inventory and pricing, managing distribution of items.

“I’m the person who responds to every teacher, student and parent question regarding the student store.”

Johnson explained she’s also a support for teachers and admin by covering bathroom breaks, students having a difficult time, covering phones.

“Many of these jobs duties are outside of my job title but I do this job for one reason — the kids. The fact that I make less than $17 an hour is unacceptable.”

Tila Gonzalez is a Special Education Aide in the district who spoke about having to take out a loan to be able to pay her rent.

“I work with children who have learning disabilities,” said Gonzalez.

“These children thrive on consistency. Some of these kids are homeless, fostered or one parent households. I have worked with over 25 aides, mostly from your temp agency. Many leave due to pay or insurance. I am the constant for these kids. Why can we not retain employees? I stay because I love these kids. I don’t know how much longer I can stay but if I leave, what are these kids going to say?”

Gonzalez emphasized it’s not about the staff, it’s about the kids.

“You are not failing us, you are failing our students,” she said.

Another district staff member spoke about how the district utilizes a temp agency.

“There are no funds to give an equitable wage to all the classified employees, yet the district is paying an agency $39 to $50 an hour with a five to seven hour guarantee. Approximately totaling $1.3 million,” the woman said.

“I know these employees are necessary but if we raise the base pay by $1 an hour for classified employees, then perhaps the district would no longer need the temp agency.”

Michelle Look who works at Yosemite Valley School read a letter from Michael Mesuda who is a Democratic congressional candidate in California’s 5th District who could not be present at the meeting.

“Our teachers and educational staff provide an invaluable public service,” the letter said.

“They don’t just teach, they mentor, protect and inspire. However for too long, the people we entrust with our children’s development have been asked to do more with less.”

The rising cost of living is hurting everyone. These aren’t just jobs people take on a whim, they’re a valuable addition to our communities and should be treated as such.

I believe that supporting teachers must be a priority we put into action every school year.

I understand there are many budget challenges that the district faces. Prioritizing teachers and support staff must always be at the forefront of our budgets. Without good teachers and good staff, our students can not succeed.”

Annika Zrebski who teaches in El Portal spoke highly of staff and all of the support they provide, as well as staff who have had to move on due to low wages. She also spoke of a potential solution to obtain more funds.

“We are in a tourist community and we have a lot of hotels around. At the park schools we have a program in place called the dollar a day opt out at the hotels. If they don’t want to donate a dollar a night towards school they check a box and can opt out,” Zrebski explained.

“It generates about $20,000 a year for park schools. That’s just the hotels in the valley. That could be a potential option.”

Irene Cummings drives a school bus for the district who gave a broad view of other driver jobs.

“This summer I’m going to be an Aramark bus driver making $32 an hour. Last summer I drove for Recology making $26 an hour. Why would we pay more for someone to carry our trash away then for someone to carry our children?”

CSEA report

Stormi Smith, CSEA President, thanked classified staff and the board.

“I just want to thank our classified staff for being so dedicated and diligent and patient with us as we continue to negotiate with the district,” Smith said.

Smith explained during the previous board meeting in April her frustration that after speaking with the district and sharing stories, “nothing is changing and the offer hasn’t move much at all.”

Smith told the Mariposa Gazette, “The current proposal is 2.5 percent for year 25-26.”

“The next negotiations meeting is tentatively scheduled for June 1,” Smith said.

“The next step is to move forward with impasse, which was declared by the district at our last meeting, April 22.”

Declaration of Impasse means either the union or the employer formally declares in writing that they cannot reach an agreement, usually after hitting a wall on issues like wages, healthcare or job descriptions.

If state mediation comes into play a neutral third-party mediator, frequently assigned by the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) in California or PERC in other states, is brought in to facilitate talks.

If mediation fails, the union can request a formal fact-finding panel to review the facts and issue recommendations for a settlement.

The process

“Many factors are considered to ensure any proposal makes the best possible use of available resources, prioritizes wage investments here in Mariposa and remains fiscally responsible and sustainable over time,” said Superintendent Jeff Aranguena.

The district reviews the budget, the state’s budget, revenue projections, rising operational costs, multi-year financial obligations and the need to maintain long-term stability for both students and staff.

“We know these decisions directly affect the people who serve our schools every day and we approach them with that responsibility in mind,” Aranguena continued.

“Our goal is to navigate negotiations in a way that preserves programs and services, protects positions that families in Mariposa rely on and still allows for thoughtful investments in wages and other district needs.”

Recognition

“I believe it is important to recognize the tremendous effort shown by both CSEA and the district’s negotiating team. Together, they have worked diligently to make progress on a significant number of proposals brought forward by the CSEA team,” said Aranguena.

“While the scope of those discussions has contributed to a longer process, it has also led to many meaningful changes that reflect the priorities and concerns shared by our CSEA partners. Throughout this process, the collaboration has been thoughtful and focused on making Mariposa a better place to serve students.”

As negotiations continue, Aranguena is confident in the process.

“Mariposa has a strong history of negotiations that, through patience and collaboration, have resulted in meaningful investments, balanced budgets and thoughtful longterm decisions,” he said.

“I have great faith in the continued efforts of both parties and in our shared ability to reach solutions that honor our employees while sustaining the future of our district.”