“What do we want? Contract! When do we want it? Now!”Making a live-streamed protest Wednesday, March 1 off West 11th Street outside Hastings Middle School, SEIU Local 284 once again made …
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“What do we want? Contract! When do we want it? Now!”
Making a live-streamed protest Wednesday, March 1 off West 11th Street outside Hastings Middle School, SEIU Local 284 once again made known their grievance with the district and school board. Having commenced the strike early last month after failing to reach agreement with the district regarding wages and other contract matters, the members of Local 284 appeared at school board, a fact acknowledged by Board Chair Lisa Hedin after the meeting had begun.
“I’d like to recognize our guests tonight,” she said. “We have a full room.” Following the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance, Board Director Zuzek shared with the rest of the school board what he and Director Brian Davis had heard in a board listening session before the meeting itself. First was someone who had shared concern about consolidated sports coach positions, with the food service contract next coming up.
“The next three people came and talked in regard to the food service contract and really implored the board to consider if there is anything we can do to move to a position where the union and the school district can settle the contract as quickly as possible,” he said, shifting into a quick summary of what each speaker had said regarding the food service strike.
“The first person that talked to us, talked about—not surprisingly—just the cost of living going up and how they believe it’s important that it should be minimum $15 per hour for the job, and another highlight of the conversation is if a two percent, two percent, two percent raise was one possibility to get it done from that person’s perspective.
“Another citizen also did a good job talking about how all the front facing public jobs that are out there that are settled on a two to three year basis, many of those jobs during COVID and post-COVID haven’t really kept up—so just again encouraging the board to consider anything we can do for those front facing jobs that are often underappreciated and find themselves in a tough position. Anything we can do to provide a livable wage is encouraged. And the third person, a lifelong resident of Hastings, a student from Hastings Schools, working in food service but also a relatively recent hire, they did a really great job of talking about it from the position of their colleagues, particularly their more senior and experienced colleagues. And one of the examples they used is a person who’s been here for 26 years and is still making thirteen something an hour, and so it was easy to understand their concern and I know we’re working hard on it. But I just wanted to be clear and represent them based on what they said. And I know that these are challenging times for the district just as they are a challenging time for everybody,” Zuzek finished, then summarizing feedback from the listening session. “So, three people in support of the food service contract being settled in a fair way as quickly as possible and one person talking about a combining of positions in coaching.”
Davis concurred that what Zuzek had shared matched the comments made.
“That matches my notes,” he said.
Now in its fourth week, the food service strike by SEIU Local 284 has seen Hastings students getting cold bag lunches in place of hot food. SEIU Local 284 executive director Kelly Gibbons shared some thoughts on what might change that, in contract terms.
“We’re asking for equity,” she said Wednesday of the 35 workers the union represents. “If you’re going to give the superintendent six percent, give them (food service workers) six percent. It’ll be over tomorrow.”
