More than a month into a strike with its food service workers, the Hastings School District is standing its ground.

Days before the strike began Tuesday, Feb. 7, the school board presented members of the  SEIU Local 284 Foodservice workers with what it termed its “Last, Best and Final offer.”

The ISD 200 Board of Education met in special closed session on Wednesday, March 8 to discuss the ongoing strike, with the possibility of reopening negotiations. Another meeting was held Feb. 27.

That isn’t happening at this time. Hastings Superintendent Dr. Bob McDowell released the following statement Monday morning:

“The Hastings School District and Food Service Union met on Feb. 27. The district invited the union to meet after the union expressed interest in discussing ideas surrounding how other local contracts were laid out. However, the union did not bring any of those ideas to the meeting. Instead, the union shared a proposal that continues to be significantly out of line with any comparable districts and included an additional item that would have financial impacts. 

“After hearing the union's position, the School Board remains resolute in its Last, Best, and Final offer communicated before the food service strike began.  The district continues to be concerned by the lack of any data to justify the union's position because the district provided data supporting the district’s position months ago. In addition, the union’s attempt to add a new item regarding e-learning days to its proposal has only served to bring the parties further apart. 

“Furthermore, the union is yet again providing misleading information to the public, specifically suggesting that the two groups are only $100,000 apart, when in fact, that number is only inclusive of the salary-related financials and does not take into account all of the other components of the union's demands which also have financial implications.  The union began negotiations with unreasonable demands and insisted on making virtually no movement on the demands before they went on strike, while the district made significant concessions to respond to market conditions. The district remains hopeful that the union will rethink its position and have a serious conversation about an agreement to resolve the strike.”

SEIU Local 284 members are continuing to hold events in an attempt to sway public opinion to get the school district to make a move. They gathered at Pleasant Hill Library last Tuesday, and again picketed prior to the special school board meeting the following night.

“The food service workers plan to be there ahead of the meeting to showcase their unity as they continue to push district leaders to free up enough money to reach a fair contract and get students back to having hot meals,” according to a statement from the union.

SEIU Local 284 Executive Director Kelly Gibbons said:

"Maybe the school board is OK with longtime staff having to strike for a fair deal instead of being in the schools to feed and support our students? But we're not. From what we've heard and the support we're receiving from the community, Hastings residents aren't OK with this either. Tonight the people who are supposed to be leading somehow made this situation even worse,” said Gibbons. “We've heard support from the Governor, the Lt. Governor, the Congresswoman and state Senator for the district and more to demand the district come back to the table like adults and settle this deal. We tell our students that they need to sit down and work out problems, but it doesn't seem like the School Board and Superintendent feel like those same rules apply to them."

Food service workers have been receiving overwhelming support from community members on the picket lines thanking them for their critical work supporting Hastings families, including multiple deliveries of food and drinks from community members. Union workers have been focusing on how to reach a fair deal to resolve this dispute so students can go back to having hot meals. These essential, frontline workers have spoken out about the disrespectful offers and what it means for these critical members of the Hastings schools team, but have yet to see enough movement from district leaders. Food service workers who kept students fed during COVID start out at less than $15 per hour.

The group represents 35 workers who ensure Hastings students are fed and supported so they can be ready to learn when they enter their classrooms. SEIU Local 284 workers have been bargaining since June 9th and have been clear that any settlement needs to include a fair wage increase to combat the impact of historic inflation and maintain stability through regular hours and health insurance benefits.