Morgan Schools strike: 'We need a living wage here'

McCONNELSVILLE − Representatives of the Ohio Association of Public School Employees Local 51 will head back to the bargaining table on Friday, 10 days after going on strike against Morgan Local Schools.

OAPSE local 51 President Tom Quaintance said the union represents about 100 maintenance workers, mechanics, cooks, custodians, secretaries, aids and bus drivers across the district's three elementary schools, high school and junior high.

So far, the members are holding up well, Quaitance said. "We get a lot of support from the community, and outstanding support from surrounding unions, not just other OAPSE locals, but laborers, boilermakers, machinists," who often join the picket lines.

Picketers on the McConnelsville Commons, at the intersection of Ohio 60 and 376 were greeted by a steady stream of honking horns Wednesday afternoon. Brenda Roberts, picketing outside the Morgan Local Schools administration building, said union workers from Miba marched in solidarity with them earlier in the week. She said teachers drive past after school lets out to show their support.

The Morgan Local School website has a FAQ outlining its positions. Calls to Superintendent Kristen Barker Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning were not returned. After a brief closure and remote learning, students have returned to class, although they have to find their own way to school. The district website notes that absences caused by labor unrest are not excused. "Parents should plan to continue transporting their children to and from school until the union chooses to accept the district's offer and come back to work," the website reads.

Clint McCoy, who is a member of the union's negotiating team, said the community is behind them. Community members have supplied firewood and food at multiple locations during the strike. "The Eagles is supplying lunch, taking donations, it is amazing what they are doing for us," he said.

"The support from the community is outstanding, not only monetary donations, but food, donations for non-perishables, we bundle them up and pass out to families in need," Quaintance said.

"We have fantastic support," Roberts said, tempered by "unbelievable disappointment with the school board."

The union has been operating without a contract since July. Negotiations started in May. They intend to seek back pay to make up for the difference between paid wages and contract wages once a contract is signed, Quaintance said.

"We have tentative agreements on different aspects of the contract, our primary holdout is wages," Quaintance said. "The comparison of our wages across the board for classified staff is below the average of surrounding school districts, while Barker's wages are at the high end of her pay throughout the state."

On its website, the district asserts that the unions wages are equal to surrounding districts. "Morgan schools is offering the union higher pay than their Crooksville counterparts in 10 out of 12 job classifications," it reads. It also notes that Barker's wages are not the highest in the area, trailing Logan-Hocking, West Muskingum and the Muskingum Valley Educational Service Center.

The district offered a 5% raise for the first year of the contract, followed by 4% and 4% increases over the rest of the three-year contract. "Social Security went up over 8%, minimum wage went up over 8%. We are just looking for a livable wage, get our wages up to survive on," Quaintance said.

"The members are doing very well, we have good turnout on the picket lines," he said. "We have picketing areas at each elementary school, the junior high, high school, the commons and in front of the central office", he said.

"I think we are considered a little lower level, even though we don't hold the college degree, there are paraprofessionals that do have a college degree, but still we are not considered as essential, you could say," Quaintance added.

McCoy said the workers love the kids, and miss working with them every day. "These people are upset because we are not where we are supposed to be."

"In May we met two days, after that it wasn't again until August. They just put us off, didn't want to talk to us until then," Quaintance said. "We met in May, August, November, December, and then just before we went out. Six hours before we went out they wanted us to come to the table.

"It should have happened a long time before that." Quaintance said he didn't think the district believed the union would strike.

The district counters that assertion via its website: "We have always been available and willing to sit down at the negotiating table with the union at any time to further negotiate the terms of the contract. However, the union voted down our latest offer on Jan 28, issued their one and only counteroffer on February 6, and then issued a strike notice soon after. At the meeting on February 28, the Board offered to meet the union halfway, and the union would not agree and walked out."

"A lot of people, they live paycheck to paycheck," Quaintance said. "Generous donations from individuals, other unions, it has given us a great boost being able to help those in need from our union.

"We are willing to stand out for what we believe is right. Six percent is only going to get you another buck." Quaintance said the district illegally canceled union members insurance by failing to provide written notice insurance would be canceled to provide a time period to opt into Continuation of Health Coverage.

"We need a living wage here in a real bad way," McCoy said. "Everybody says this percentage is astronomical, we are not being greedy, but we are trying to catch up. Six percent of $20 an hour is about a dollar, five people in our union make $20 an hour. Bus drivers make $21,000 a year to deliver our kids twice a day.

"We are never going to be to that point where we don't struggle, but we need a little help right now," he said.

Should negotiations go well on Friday, the union will ratify the contract on Saturday, Quaintance said. A school board meeting is scheduled for Monday. Should the board ratify the contract, the union will return to work on Tuesday.

ccrook@gannett.com

740-868-3708

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This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: Morgan Schools strike: 'We need a living wage here'