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UE Members Celebrate First
Delaware Schools Contract

DELAWARE, Ohio

"The choke hold is broken!" That’s how custodian Jerry Miller describes the new working conditions established with the first UE Local 799 contract covering the Delaware City Schools’ custodial, food service, maintenance, and transportation employees . Miller says that in his 24 years with the Delaware City Schools, no one in the administration ever responded to the need for better wages, safer conditions, and fair treatment before workers joined UE.

The three-year contract creates a real grievance procedure and strong seniority rights. Before, the administration would hire people off the street instead of giving current employees a chance to bid on open positions. Seniority will now be the deciding factor in transfers and promotions, provided that the applicant meets the minimum requirements.

Local 799 members insisted on the right to file grievances over violations of the contract, as well as school board policies and rules. For matters of discipline and discharge, the union will have the right to go to arbitration.

BETTER WAGES

Wage increases of 4 percent, 3 percent and 3 percent represent not only the best raises Delaware workers have seen in many years but also a major improvement for those at the top of their rates. For as long as anyone can remember, raises were always given based on starting pay. Now raises will be based on actual rates. This results in an additional $150-$500 per year for senior employees.

The contract also provides 2.5 percent retroactive pay to August 1998, because the administration withheld raises last year in an effort to scare people away from organizing their union.

A major reason propelling UE organizing was the unfair two-tier wage system that paid some workers substantially less than others doing the very same work. This contract ends that practice and places everyone on the higher tier — resulting in immediate wage increases of up to $2.10 an hour for some workers. In addition, cooks and cashiers will receive an extra 10 cents an hour to bring their rates in line with area schools. Banquet pay for cooks is also improved.

The first UE agreement also improves overtime policy. Previously, workers who took a sick day during the week but worked eight hours on the weekend would receive straight time. Under this contract, most paid time off will be considered as time worked for the purpose of applying overtime.

BETTER DEAL

Bus drivers had suffered for years from a $4.40 hourly rate for all "wait time" on field trips. Making matters worse, the school board had recently implemented a confusing and unfair system of overtime by blending the "wait time" and "drive time" rates. This essentially made it impossible for drivers to determine how much they were actually earning at any given time. With the new contract, drivers will receive a rate of $9 an hour for all trips, with overtime set at $13.50. Overtime will be automatic for drivers on Sundays. The trip rate will increase by 55 cents an hour over the life of the contract.

Other economic gains come in the form of two additional holidays, payment of wages while taking physicals and attending training, and the expansion of health benefits to more part-time employees. Also, uniforms — which were taken away from custodians a few years ago — will once again be provided. And the school board will now pay for cooks’ aprons.

FAIR TREATMENT

Workers also won significant victories in working conditions. The contract provides call-in pay, better breaks, and strong language on health and safety.

Delaware workers, in their first contract, won the right to donate sick leave to co-workers who need it, overturning school policy. This contract allows bargaining unit members to give up to four sick days to employees who exhaust their sick leave.

Prior to the contract, the administration gave bus drivers’ field-trip work to substitute drivers. Now, a fair system for trip assignment, designed by the bus drivers themselves, allow subs to take trips only when all regular drivers have had a chance to get the extra hours.

UNITY WAS THE KEY

During the organizing campaign, workers from all departments got to know each other and learned the value of sticking together. They won the March 23 union election by a vote of 46-30, and very quickly afterwards, more than 85 percent of the unit had joined the union. When the negotiating committee went to the table, everyone stayed united.

Union members showed their unity by sporting T-shirts that read "School Works Because We Do!" Management got the message.

When negotiations got off to a slow start, a fed-up Shirley Thrush told the school board’s negotiators that "if we are going to get anywhere, you need to come down off your high horse!" Refusing to be backed down, the UE negotiating team showed their unified strength and kept hammering until they pounded management’s initial demands for concessions into incredible gains for all bargaining unit workers.

UE Local 799’s negotiating committee consisted of Norma Scott, Dick Kelley, Jerry Miller and Shirley Thrush. They were assisted by Intl. Rep. Gene Elk and Field Org. Gail Francis.

UE News - 08/99


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