According to Aurora's non-educating school workers, the want to to bargain for better wages. Their cause drew upwards of 100 supporters to the APS Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, August 19.
"I know I'm important. I know I do an important job," Anne Wolfe, an administrative assistant for the APS Athletics and Activities Department, told Westword before the meeting. "I work very hard, and I take my job seriously. I'm here for students, and sometimes it doesn't feel like the administration is here for that reason.
Educational support jobs can include special education paraeducators (also know as teacher's aides), custodians and administrative assistants, among others; they're also called "classified employees," according to the National Education Association, which claims to be the largest labor union in the United States.
Licensed employees at APS like teachers, principals and administrators have union representation through the Aurora Education Association, a local chapter of the NEA that represents 1,600 people, and the Colorado Education Association (CEA), which represents 40,000 education workers, including classified employees in other districts. But according to APS classified employees, the district doesn't allow them to join those unions.
"Education support is essential. If we don't support our educators, they can't support our students," says Brandi Edmonds, a technology teacher and IT assistant for APS. "We have no voice for anything in our contracts, in our wages. They just decide that for us."
Donning red shirts to show their support, dozens of people rallied for classified employees on Tuesday outside the APS Professional Learning and Conference Center, at 15771 East 1st Avenue, Aurora, where the district's board of education meets.
"There is no doubt that working for a school district has its wonderful memories, dedicated staff," Judy Goos, an executive assistant for APS, said at the rally. "But I think I work harder than what they think I'm worth...we're frozen in our wages."
About ten people had time to speak during the APS board meeting in support of the unionization. They explained that unionizing would give classified employees the chance to bargain for better wages while also making APS a more desirable place to work.
Kevin Vick, the CEA president, was among those urging the APS board.
"Districts that have a union partnership have much lower turnover rates," Vick told the board during the meeting. "The classified personnel here are asking you to work with them and bargain with them as an organized group so they can have their voices heard."
In June, the APS board approved a 2.7 percent raise for all district staff, including classified employees, and higher raises for qualified educators after bargaining with the Aurora Education Association. That brought the average APS teacher salary to just above $81,000, compared to $85,000 for Denver Public School teachers and $95,000 for Cherry Creek.
The hourly pay range for APS classified employees is between $16 and $55, depending on the role and worker, according to the school district. Maria Simental, a cafeteria worker at Rangeview High School, told the APS board that she and her colleagues worry about not being able to pay medical bills and how their financial instability stressed their own kids.
Maria Simental told the APS board that her fellow cafeteria workers at Rangeview High School can't afford medical bills and can barely afford school supplies for their own children.
Bennito L. Kelty
"I like my job a lot, because my schedule is very similar to my kids' schedules. I'm proud to prepare nutritious food for our kids and see their smiles when they come to the cafeteria," Simental said. "That's why it's very difficult to keep working when my salary is stuck at $1,300 a month...if it weren't for the help of my older children I wouldn't even be able to cover the basic needs. I've had to look at where I can cut costs to buy my children school supplies.
During the board meeting, Edmonds said that the majority of classified employees in the district like the idea of a union and referenced a petition that 60 percent of APS classified employees signed in support. She said that APS classified employees have sent the APS board a plan to move forward with a union, as well.
"We are presenting you all with a policy that we have drafted that would give us a pathway forward to have our union," she said. "It would allow us to have an election and to recognize that we can bargain a contract and have a seat at the table with APS."
APS boardmember Vicki Reinhard said that "the union issue" has been brought up for two decades, and that the board needs to address staff challenges like not being able to pay medical bills or hire special ed paraeducators.
"These are serious issues that students in their learning environment shouldn't have to deal with," Reinhard said. "It's time for us to listen, to actively listen, when our parents, our community and our staff are bringing us these issues."
Anne Keke, the board president, and boardmember Debra Gerkin agreed with Reinhard, but said that the board should hold off on a deeper discussion until unionizing or concerns brought up by classified employees are on the meeting agenda.
"All seven of us care, not just about the district, but we care about the communities. We also do listen when people come to speak to us," Keke said. "I do agree that we should put some of these items on the agenda."
Superintendent Michael Giles Jr. said that "some things were brought up that we have been working in detail to try to resolve," but agreed that they should put the topic on the agenda first, he didn't opine on the issue any further.
"All seven of us care, not just about the district, but we care about the communities. We also do listen when people come to speak to us," Keke said. "I do agree that we should put some of these items on the agenda."
Superintendent Michael Giles Jr. said that "some things were brought up that we have been working in detail to try to resolve," but agreed that they should put the topic on the agenda first, he didn't opine on the issue any further.
The next APS board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, September 2.
