LWESP LOCAL - www.lwesplocal.blogspot.com

SETTLED!

2010-05-06T11:03:00.000-07:00

You can watch a video of highlights of the LWESP General Membership Meeting at Redmond High School on April 15, 2010.

Click on the 3rd picture story (03) on the main home page of the Washington Education Association website and then click on VIDEO.

www.washingtonea.org

Very Important Employees!

2010-05-05T13:38:00.000-07:00

You can listen to the May 3, 2010 LWSD school board meeting to hear the portion in regards to the LWESP contract. In summary the entire board passed it and made comments on congratulating both parties for sticking it out and getting it done. If you are interested in listening to it the portion pertaining to us it is at the mark of 1 hr 48 minutes – 1 hr 54 minutes.

http://lwsd.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=126

or

http://www.lwsd.org/About/School-Board/Board-Meetings/Pages/Board-Meeting-Video.aspx

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

2010-04-27T10:53:00.000-07:00

LWESP SPRING SOCIAL

LWESP Members:

The school year is coming to an end and with that many of you will break for the summer. Come join us on Tuesday night May 18, 2010 from 4:30-6:30 p.m. at Rose Hill Jr.
Dinner will be provided by food service. (Tierra Del Sol Buffet)
You should have received an email with a RSVP request from your Vice President.

Monday, April 5 Update

2010-04-05T14:46:00.000-07:00

The LWESP and District administration bargaining teams are meeting on April 12-14 to strengthen organizational working relationships between LWESP and Lake Washington School District and to settle the collective bargaining agreement and the controversy over members’ use of sick leave. We are being assisted by John and Carol Glaser, nationally recognized facilitators and trainers in collaborative bargaining and problem-solving.

LWESP members are encouraged to wear green ribbons or a green piece of clothing on April 12-14 in support of these efforts to peacefully resolve the contract negotiations.

A general membership meeting for LWESP members will be held at the Redmond High School cafeteria, 17272 NE 104th Street, Redmond, WA 98052 at 5:00 PM on Thursday, April 15. We hope to bring a Contract settlement for ratification. All members are encouraged to attend and vote. If the parties are unable to settle the Contract, we will discuss and decide upon next steps

Mark Your Calendars for April 15!

2010-03-24T10:33:00.000-07:00

General Membership Meeting:

LWESP members should mark their calendars for Thursday, April 15, at 5:00 PM. We have requested the Redmond High School cafeteria and will confirm the location before everyone leaves for Spring Break. The LWESP Bargaining Team will present the results of the bargaining intervention with John and Carol Glaser. The group will either vote on ratification of a new Contract or plan our next steps.

Bargaining Update

2010-03-24T10:29:00.001-07:00

The LWESP Bargaining Team and the Lake Washington School District Bargaining Team will meet on April 12-14 with John and Carol Glaser. The Glaser team are nationally known bargaining trainers and facilitators. The LWESP Team hopes to settle the Contract and establish the foundation for a more respectful and productive working relationship between the District administration and LWESP.

March 18, 2010 UPDATE

2010-03-18T11:26:00.000-07:00

LWESP AND LAKE WASHINGTON AGREE TO A “COOLING OFF” PERIOD

The Lake Washington School District and members of the Lake Washington Educational Support Professionals announced Wednesday, March 17 that they have agreed to a collaborative bargaining process to reach a settlement in the office personnel’s contract negotiations that started in February, 2009.

“The goal of this type of bargaining is to meet the interests of both parties”, noted Deputy Superintendent Janene Fogard. “We have found with other bargaining units that this process helps to foster good working relationships.”

LWESP members have agreed to suspend all community organizing activities while the process unfolds. The district will postpone employee investigations it launched last week, and union staff for the LWESP will suspend any challenges to those investigations.
“We have mutually agreed to seek facilitated bargaining in an effort to settle this contract. We need to return to our focus of providing a high-quality education for all students,” LWESP Chief Bargainer Donna Lurie said.

The two sides will work with John and Carol Glaser, a highly skilled pair of facilitators. Both the district and union are committed to reaching a contract settlement through this process. Timing of the sessions is still being worked out, but the sessions are not expected to begin before April. In the meantime, any previously scheduled bargaining sessions are postponed.

Dear Dr. Kimball,

2010-03-15T11:21:00.000-07:00

My name is Heidi Knable. I have been a teacher at Redmond Jr. High for 10 years now. Through those years, and the 10 years teaching at the Middle Level in Everett, I have worked with many secretaries and support personnel. I have also seen the responsibilities of those administrative jobs grow and change tremendously. To put it bluntly, our secretaries run the school! Without them, we are really lost (as we saw the other day).

Our previous head secretary had to leave our school, the home that she knew and loved for years, because she literally could not afford to live! She is now working in the private sector and earning double the salary she worked so hard for before! When the list of applicants for her position was narrowed down to the final one, the successful candidate quit after just two days because the work was just too much and the pay was too little!

While our economy is struggling and the world is changing, so are the demands of these secretaries. What used to be thought of as a part time job for a wife to stay busy, is now a full time position for a single head of household. The responsibilities of simple dictation, making coffee and looking pretty have moved on to building and personnel management, budgeting, payroll, purchasing, dealing with emergency health issues for students, parent conflicts, confidential counseling issues, registration, computer systems analysis, database management, and on, and on! Many of the secretaries at Redmond Jr. High have been here before I arrived in 2001 and they are key figures who are crucial to our staff, students and parents.

Please know that I fully support our secretaries and want to see them supported by our District in a financial manner. Dr. Kimball, I was truly amazed and proud of the way you handled the budget constraints when it came to last year's decisions on keeping vs. riffing teachers, new construction, sports fees, and all the issues you had to balance. Your creativity, the way you asked the public, the brilliant work you put into our District finances were just awesome. Please use that same genius to work things out equitably for our secretaries too!

Heidi Knable
8th Grade Language Arts (L.A.)
Redmond Jr. High

How much tax money will the district waste to delay a settlement?

2010-03-11T15:15:00.000-08:00

The LWESP and LWSD bargaining teams met more than 12 hours on March 10. No contract settlement was reached. We are approximately $62,000 apart in our salary proposals. Surely, the Lake Washington School District can find $62,000 in its $200 million budget or in its $17 million ending fund balance. How much more time, energy, and administrative salary costs does the district really want to waste by further delaying the settlement of this contract?

In addition, the parties need to resolve issues over the punitive and defamatory letter that was delivered to many LWESP employees on March 9.

GUILTY UNTIL PROVEN INNOCENT?

2010-03-09T17:00:00.000-08:00

Lake Washington Superintendent Chip Kimball is trying to set a new example for how low bad bosses can go. Under Kimball’s direct supervision, Lake Washington administrators are going on air to spew lies about our support staff. According to Kimball, if you didn’t make it into work Monday, you’re a thief.

Never mind that employees are out sick every day.

Never mind that some LWESP members were at the doctor’s office on Monday.

Never mind that employees were on pre-approved leave to grieve over the recent loss of a loved one.

Never mind that others had been granted pre-approval for personal leave.

Never mind any facts whatsoever.

Kimball is mad that LWESP members haven’t rolled over in contract negotiations. The district has dragged out these negotiations for nearly 13 months. Instead of settling the contract, he’s making threats and he’s calling names, even though he has no idea how sick our employees have been.

And he’s making up rules as he goes along.

When he directs his HR staff to tell LWESP members, “In accordance with Section 10.2.2 of the agreement you must submit a doctor’s note in support of your use of sick leave,” he is inventing contract language. Here’s what our contract really says in Section 10.2.2: “the District may require the employee to submit proof of illness or injury.” Period.

There is no requirement for a doctor’s note. No required ambulance ride. No required hospital admission. No required cast on your leg, or any other malarkey Kimball might make up. Proof can be as simple as stating that you were sick, you were caring for a sick family member, or you needed to make a medical appointment. When Kimball accuses the majority of his staff of being thieves, we hope he hasn’t forgotten the basic civics lessons taught in our own classrooms. In America – yes, even in the Lake Washington school district -- you are innocent unless proven guilty.

Lake Washington employees are stressed. We work for a superintendent who doesn’t seem to understand basic employee relations. We’ve come to work for nearly seven months without a contract. It’s the middle of the cold and flu season. We’ve been showing up for work even when we have been stressed and sick. On Monday, those of us who were sick stayed home to care for ourselves.

There’s a better way for Kimball to help his employees feel healthy. Negotiate a fair contract and stop making excuses for why it’s taken more than a year to reach a settlement that most superintendents can accomplish in a few weeks or a few months.

2010-03-08T15:01:00.000-08:00

The LWESP group is sick and tired of dragging themselves into work when they are not feeling well and/or their family members are ill or injured. Over the years, LWESP members have come to work, even though they have been suffering from allergies, contagious diseases, needing to take care of sick family members, or needing medical appointments for themselves. Office professionals have gone the extra mile for Lake Washington School District; yet, the District does not value their services nor their dedication to their jobs. The members of LWESP have decided it is time to take care of themselves and not come into work sick.

WE CAN DO IT!

2010-03-05T10:08:00.000-08:00

LWESP had a great membership meeting on March 4. Wow! Thank you to Sheila Nokes and the Bargaining Support Committee for all of their hard work in organizing for the meeting. They will be working hard all weekend and early next week to make sure that everyone is informed and on board with our members' decisions.

Thank you to LWEA, Sammamish UniServ Council, WEA, and surrounding ESP locals for their continuing support. Most of all, thank you to the LWESP members for attending our meeting and standing up for yourselves. Thank you for realizing that RESPECT is the issue here and that we can no longer allow ourselves to be taken for granted. Now, we all need to follow through on our commitments to each other. With your help and support, the LWESP Bargaining Team will go back to the table on March 10 with renewed energy and purpose to insist on a fair contract and a competitive salary.

Achieving a Living Wage will take perseverance and determination. We can do it!

LWESP Bargaining Team

General Membership Meeting Tonight!

2010-03-04T08:30:00.000-08:00

5:00 PM at Redmond High School Cafeteria

APPRECIATED?? NOT IN LAKE WASHINGTON!!

2010-03-03T08:23:00.000-08:00

Superintendent Chip Kimball says that the District "appreciates and values" the work of LWESP members. Apparently, the only appreciation that they are willing to give you is a paper certificate that says that "the district would not be able to operate without the hard work of classified employees" and that you "deserve recognition and thanks" for your excellent work.
Does Superintendent Chip Kimball really mean what he signed?
We don't think so.

March 8 - 12 is Classified Employee Appreciation Week. A truly competitive salary that attracts and retains quality employees would be a much more meaningful way to express recognition and appreciation. The District's latest salary offer is essentially a "bone" and a "pat on the head". You are being treated as pets rather than office professionals. The LWESP team refused to bring back to the membership a proposal for a 1% increase for Year 1, a new schedule that makes you wait until 15 years in Year 2 and will result in red-circling of people who would lose salary with the District's offer, and no salary increase for Year 3. LWESP has proposed a salary schedule that will restore LWESP salaries to third place among area school districts and maintain third place.

Lake Washington pays some of the highest administrative salaries (see earlier blog and flyer), but they have fallen farther and farther behind their neighbors in paying office professionals. Chip Kimball talks about "tough economic times"; yet the district managed to find a way to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in salary increases and/or extra vacation days to central office administrators, principals, and non-represented groups. After paying out all this money, the District has the unmitigated gall to claim it cannot afford pay raises for LWESP. Horse puckey!

The District Team and the Superintendent had an opportunity to settle this Contract and go into next week with some positive news for the District and restore some trust in central administration. Once again, the District blew their chance. You will hear the same rhetoric next week about appreciation. To Chip Kimball we say, Show Me the Money!

ALL LWESP EMPLOYEES MUST ATTEND THE GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING ON THURSDAY, MARCH 4 AT 5:00 PM AT THE REDMOND HIGH SCHOOL CAFETERIA. AN IMPORTANT VOTE WILL BE TAKEN. YOUR LWESP BARGAINING TEAM IS COUNTING ON YOU TO BE THERE.

LWESP Bargaining Team

BREAKING NEWS!

2010-02-25T16:55:00.000-08:00

LWESP Bargaining Update - February 25, 2010

The parties continue to make progress on language and procedures. Unfortunately, our members cannot use better contract rights to pay their bills and support their families. We are still far apart on salary. The District wants you to wait 20 years to get to the new top salary increment and it's not much higher than the previous step. Instead of waiting for someone to die or resign, you have to hope that you can last 20 years in Lake Washington. The District's latest salary proposal does NOT place LWESP members in third place among area school districts ~ a commitment that was made some time ago. Frankly, we see the District's position on salary as totally unacceptable to our members.

While LWESP employees are being asked to sacrifice on behalf of the District, take a look at what administrators have gained over recent years, with the School Board's blessing:

Superintendent: Base salary increase from $180,950 in 2007-08 to $190,178 in 2008-09,
Plus an Annuity of $20,000 in 2007-08 to $21,000 in 2008-09.
That's an increase of $10,178!

Deputy Supt.: Salary of $135,880 in 2007-08 and $157,300 in 2008-09.
Plus a $5500 annuity in each year.
That's an increase of $21,420!

Chief Officer: Salary of $121,825 in 2007-08 and $144,050 in 2008-09,
Plus an annuity of $5500 in each year.
That's an increase of $22,225!

Directors: Salary of $117,550 in 2007-08 and $133,305 in 2008-09,
That's an increase of $15,755!

Do you find the request for employee sacrifice and the payoff to administrators just slightly outrageous??! Does this make you mad? Some of these increases equal your annual salary. If so, please contact Superintendent Chip Kimball at ckimball@lwsd.org or call him at 425-702-3257.

LWESP employees deserve to be dealt with honestly and fairly. We need a competitive wage to be able to afford to live within a reasonable commute of our jobs. We should not have to rely on spouses, partners, parents, government agencies, roommates, etc. to be able to afford to work for Lake Washington School District.

We bargain again on March 2. We look forward to seeing all LWESP members at the general membership meeting on Thursday, March 4 at Redmond High School Cafeteria from 5:00 to 7:00 PM.

It's time to make some noise!!
LWESP Bargaining Team

Dear Members:

2010-02-19T13:51:00.000-08:00

On March 4th we will be holding the second general membership meeting this school year at Redmond High Cafeteria from 5:00 - 7:00 pm and you are all invited to come!

This meeting will inform you of the current bargaining situation. The bargaining team is meeting with the District twice (Feb 24 & March 2) before the general membership meeting and we are hoping to have a packet for you to vote on that night.

Thank you and we look forward to seeing you ALL.

The LWESP Bargaining Team.

LWESP Bargaining Update for 2/10/10

2010-02-12T08:18:00.000-08:00

Business as usual will not work in Lake Washington. We saw this with the loss of the capital projects bond measure. We saw this with the way the administration takes its employees and the community for granted. We saw this with the vague, outdated language in the LWESP Contract and the archaic and arbitrary salary schedule that still exists.

The District and LWESP bargaining teams have reached some tentative agreements on language issues. We have gained the right to be free of retaliation when filing a grievance or a complaint, citizenship rights, the right to be paid at the rate of a higher classification when assigned higher classification work, a clear reclassification process with a joint reclassification committed to review request, a process for handling overpayments and underpayments of salary, and some clean-up language for the grievance procedure.

There is much more work to be done to bring the LWESP Contract and pay practices into the 21st century. The District team has not moved on the salary issue. The LWESP Team has made it crystal clear that the "coffin lane" has got to go. We need a salary schedule that is predictable, fair, based on years of experience, and that provides our members with a living wage. Other school districts in the area have managed to develop modern salary schedules that are based on a written classification system and on employee experience.

Why cant' Lake Washington join the 21st century??

We meet again on February 24 and March 2.

Help us Bury the Coffin Lane!

LWESP Bargaining Team

Our Member: Erin Ashley

2010-02-12T08:05:00.000-08:00

My name is Erin Ashley and I am a School Secretary.
Like a lot of you, I have one of those SAVE the CHANGE accounts.
You know the kind....for every purchase I make with my debit card, my bank rounds up to the nearest dollar and puts that change into a saving account for me.
Well, you can imagine my surprise and delight when that "spare change" added up to $300 dollars and 82 cents last year. This is truly a windfall for my family of four, because I am the only wage earner, and I don't make a living wage as a Lake Washington School District employee.

Just like my SAVE the CHANGE account, Lake Washington School District found an UNEXPECTED $4 million dollars at the end of the last school year. That's $4 million dollars over and above the $13 million in reserve funds that were planned for in the budget. The District now has $17 million in their ending fund balance. This significant reserve fund is way over the 5% required contingency for emergencies.

And then there's that SPARE CHANGE...that $4 million dollars
that no one expected.
What will the district do with that money, I wonder?
Where are the district's priorities?
I would like to suggest that this District take care of its people first...before budget allocations for capital projects for instance. But wait....some salaries HAVE been taken care of, haven't they?
ADMINISTRATION has received significant wage increases, more than the average secretary makes in a year!

Meanwhile, YOUR school secretaries and office managers, your accounting staff and bookkeepers, are all bargaining in good faith....demanding to be shown that WE are valued and respected. Emails are sent all the time telling us how "APPRECIATED" we are. Well, that's beginning to feel like lip service! A portion of the District's "SPARE CHANGE" would show your Educational Support Personnel that we are respected, that we ARE essential, and that we ARE truly part of the school district team.
So, if NOT for your qualified and committed support staff,
WHAT ARE YOU SAVING THE CHANGE FOR?
************************************************************************************

Redmond Reporter!

2010-02-10T15:49:00.000-08:00

Breaking News! LWESP's Action Rally has been reported in the Redmond Reporter.
Front Page News!

http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/east_king/red/

Click on this link/webpage.
Or you may have to copy and paste.

More Dates!

2010-02-09T09:27:00.000-08:00

The LWESP Bargaining Team returns to the bargaining table on February 10 and 24 to push for contract improvements and a modern salary schedule that does not depend on someone dying in order to move to a higher salary step. Thank you all for your support at the February 6 Rally at Redmond Town Center. Please wear a green ribbon, LWESP button, or T-shirt on February 10 and 24. Your support means a lot to this bargaining team. Keep up the pressure!

LWESP Bargaining Team

Dear LWESP Members:

2010-02-08T14:57:00.000-08:00

If you were unable to attend the rally we had on February 6th, 2010 you can view a video clip put together by WEA clicking on the links below.

Thank you to all of you that showed up in support and thank you for all of you who continue to support the bargaining team and the bargaining support committee.
*Together we can make a difference and bury the coffin.

Video from the LWESP Rally on the WEA's website:
http://www.washingtonea.org

Direct link to the video:
http://www.washingtonea.org/content/video/10/LW-ESP/frame.html

LWESP Deserves a Fair Contract Now!

2010-02-06T19:13:00.001-08:00

Saturday, February 6th

2010-02-06T19:04:00.000-08:00

Our LWESP action rally was a success! We passed out 120 balloons, flyers and cookies. There were 8 speakers from different arenas within our support system. We had a solidarity march and sang and chanted "RESPECT". We finished with a funeral procession with a casket symbolizing the "death lane". (The antiquated lane system in our expired contract)

SEE YOU SATURDAY!!!

2010-02-04T12:50:00.000-08:00

Come to our LWESP Action Rally!
Saturday, February 6th
2:00 PM
LWSD Resource Center west sidewalk.
Along Bear Creek Parkway and Leary Way.
Remember to wear your colors!
Come Rain or Shine!

HOW DO LAKE WASHINGTON EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT PROFESSIONALS GET A RAISE?

2010-02-04T12:14:00.000-08:00

Somebody has to die.....Or at least walk away from their job in the middle of a recession.

It's irrelevant if you've done a great job.

It doesn't matter if you've been dedicated and come to work, even for decades on end.

No deaths? No quitters?

Without one or the other,
there are no raises for Lake Washington's Educational Support Professionals.

How has this archaic, arbitrary contract provision survived into the 21st century? Lake Washington's top-tier administrators refuse to give up the "coffin lane" and negotiate honestly with the District's office professionals. Central office administrators won't meaningfully bargain, even thought the LWESP Contract expired last August. The District still expects employees to show up and keep our schools operating, even though their current position at the bargaining table means NO RAISES for FIVE YEARS for many LWESP employees. Lake Washington does NOT pay competitive wages.

Superintendent Chip Kimball refuses to resolve this contract even though Lake Washington ended the past school year with $4 million more unspent in its reserves than administrators expected. The District has a $17 million ending fund balance, yet they insist on keeping the archaic "coffin lane" in the Contract and they refuse to provide retroactive raises for current, hardworking employees.

In addition, LWESP is asking for basic employee rights---the right to representation, the right to speak up as a citizen, the right to file grievances without fear of retaliation, the right to functional work stations that won't cause injury to employees, the right to adequate heat, air, light, and water, the right to a fair evaluation process, the right to written Human Resources procedures so that employees and supervisors know what to expect and the rules cannot be changed arbitrarily.

TELL SUPERINTENDENT CHIP KIMBALL THAT THE DISTRICT NEEDS TO SETTLE THE CONTRACT WITH LAKE WASHINGTON ESP. WE NEED A FAIR CONTRACT NOW!

Contact Superintendent Chip Kimball: 425-702-3257; ckimball@lwsd.org

Important Dates!

2010-01-29T13:06:00.001-08:00

Saturday, February 6th - LWESP Action Rally
Thursday, March 4th - General Membership Meeting
Remember to read your home email.

BREAKING NEWS!

2010-01-28T10:16:00.000-08:00

RESPECT FOR EMPLOYEES? NOT IN LAKE WASHINGTON

The LWESP Team had provided a clear, detailed package of proposals to the District bargaining team on January 20. We asked for specific information and District responses or counterproposals to be provided on January 27. Instead, the District team came unprepared to bargain. Apparently, they were too busy to thoughtfully review our proposals, think of ways to work with us to improve HR practices and procedures, provide a response to half of our proposals, and provide the requested information. They are reluctant to write anything down, so our members and other District employees are left to guess how certain sections work in the LWESP Contract. The District is unwilling to see the inequity in providing certain extra pay to administrators but not to LWESP members who are in the same situation (e.g. doing higher classification work, construction stipend).

The District team had an opportunity to get bargaining back on track and they blew it. Even though we were very clear that the District's wage proposal on December 8 was insulting and totally unacceptable to our members, we got the same proposal at today's session. The District seems unwilling to change an arbitrary, antiquated and unpredictable salary schedule that depends on people resigning or dying in order to move to Lane C. We call Lane C the "coffin lane." It is time to bury it! Other districts in the area have logical, predictable salary schedules that are based on years of experience and pay a lot more than LWESP members get paid. Why can't Lake Washington modernize its schedule and catch up to its neighbors?

It is time to turn up the volume to get the District's attention. Please see your Bargaining Support contact person at your work site. We are holding some very important activities and events in the new few weeks. Give your Bargaining Team the power to demand what you need for an acceptable Contract. Being "nice" or "patient" has not worked for LWESP. It is time to be assertive and stand up for yourselves.

LWESP Bargaining Team

LWESP Bargaining Team

2010-01-26T11:01:00.000-08:00

Our LWESP Bargaining Team will be back at the table, Wednesday, January 27th.

JANUARY 20, 2010 BARGAINING UPDATE

2010-01-20T15:02:00.000-08:00

The LWESP and District Bargaining Teams returned to the table on January 20. We were joined by Deputy Superintendent Janene Fogard. After introductions and a brief review of the LWESP members' interests previously discussed, the LWESP Bargaining Team presented a seven-page package of specific proposals to improve our Contract and address our members' needs in the following major areas:

Competitive Compensation
Decent Working Conditions
Workload Relief
Respect for Employees and their Association

Our LWESP Team urged the District Team to put several Human Resource and Payroll best practices in writing so that expectations are clear and procedures are followed throughout the District. We, also, suggested several ways to streamline operations in a way that would benefit employees and the District.

The District Team listened carefully to our proposals. They asked clarifying questions. The District provided some information in response to a list of questions that we sent them in early January. The LWESP Team committed to reviewing the District's information to see if any of the new information impacts our proposals. The District Team committed to respond to our bargaining proposals at our next bargaining session on January 27. We meet again on January 27, February 3 and February 24.

The issues are clear. Our proposals are clear and well-researched. We will see if the District will respond in good faith and provide specific ways to address our members' needs. In the meantime, please support the LWESP Bargaining Team who is working on your behalf. The Bargaining Support Committee will be publicizing ways for you to support our bargain.

Thank you for your support,
LWESP Bargaining Team

FAIR CONTRACT NOW!

2010-01-12T12:14:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year from LWESP!! The New Year brings a new start to our bargaining process. The Washington Education Association (WEA) has sent us some staff assistance for our bargain. Donna Lurie, A UniServ Representative from WEA-Cascade, will serve as lead bargainer. Donna has extensive experience in representing certificated and classified school employees. She has developed and bargained several job classification systems, compensation systems, and professional development programs. Monica Strickland, a UniServ Representative from the Puget Sound UniServ Council, will lead the organizing efforts. Monica also has extensive experience in representing certificated and classified school employees. Rosemary Wolf and David Phelps from WEA headquarters will support the organizing and communication activities. Lora Hein, WEA-Sammamish UniServ Representative, will continue to support the bargain as she is able to while juggling some family health crises. Cheryl Hopkins, Field Assistant at WEA-Sammamish, will support the organizing activities of LWESP.

The LWESP Bargaining Team met during Winter Break and put together an exciting bargaining package to present to the District. We can't wait to meet with them! The bargaining teams are scheduled to meet on January 20, 27 and February 3, 10 and 24 or 25. Be sure to wear your LWESP T-shirt, Living Wage Button, or a green ribbon on those dates.

We can't thank you enough for attending the December 7 Board meeting, making phone calls, and sending email messages in support of our bargain. Keep up the good work! The Bargaining Support Committee will be contacting you about future activities to turn up the volume. In the meantime, make sure that you convey the message:

LWESP Members Need a Fair Contract, and They Need It Now!

Superintendent Chip Kimball repeatedly stated at the December 7 Board meeting that the District intended to bargain with us in "good faith". We define "good faith" as prompt responses to our communications, the agreement to a schedule of bargaining sessions in January and February, providing documents and information that we have requested, and having administrators at the bargaining table who have the authority to fully negotiate and settle this Contract. The LWESP Bargaining Team will insist that the District follow through on its public promises. In the meantime, we are under an extension of the previous Collective Bargaining Agreement and all of its provisions. All contract provisions are in full force until we agree to a successor agreement.

Fair Contract Now!
LWESP Bargaining Team.

NEW NEWS!

2010-01-05T13:23:00.000-08:00

Monday, January 11th, there will be an initial meeting of LWESP bargaining "support" at the WEA-Sammamish office in Bellevue.
The meeting will start at 4:30 PM. If you are a LWESP member and would like to come and join the discussion please call Cheryl Hopkins at 425-440-6161.

LWESP 2006-2009 Contract

2009-12-22T08:19:00.000-08:00

Contract

Letter to the Editor

2009-12-17T11:53:00.000-08:00

Reading the December 2 editorial in the Sammamish Review, one can easily believe that Scrooge has come to Sammamish just in time for the holidays.

School secretaires in the Lake Washington School Distirct are asking for a wage increase because they need to be able to support themselves and their families living in this area. School secretaries have not received a wage increase over the past three years. They have been negotiating a new contract since last Spring. Whatever increase may be received will be for the next few years, once the new contract is finalized.

And how much are school secretaries asking for? The Review editorial got its facts wrong.

The editorial claims we're looking for $23-$24 an hour. That is the amount needed to support basic living expenses in the Eastside area served by the Lake Washington School District. In fact, we're negotiating with the school district for an increase of at least ten (10) percent. That means an increase of $1.35 to $2.08 an hour for our members. A Lake Washington School District secretary currently being paid $13.53 an hour would make $14.88 - and the highest paid secretaries presently at $20.80 an hour would move to $22.88.

As the Review huffs and puffs "Bah" and "Humbug" over school secretaries asking for a living wage, it might do well to remember that without us, there would be no friendly greeting when a new or returning student and parent enters a building, the doors wouldn't open, the bells wouldn't ring, the phones wouldn't be answered, the lights wouldn't go on, school budgets wouldn't be maintained, computers and electronic systems would not be maintained or operated efficiently, and students wouldn't receive correct medications and might not get on the correct school bus.

We hope the Lake Washington School District will not join the Review in playing Scrooge as well. After all, the District has an ending fund balance of $17 million. For the sake of our children and our schools, it's essential that school secretaries in lake Washington are paid a fair living wage.

Signed:
The Lake Washington Educational Support Personnel

LWESP NEWS

2009-12-15T13:04:00.000-08:00

What is the difference between interest-based bargaining and proposal-based bargaining?

In order for interest-based bargaining to work successfully, there has to be mutual respect between the parties. Each party works to advocate their own interests while working to address the needs and interests of the other party. The parties engage in problem solving and jointly develop solutions and contract language to resolve the issues that have been raised.

Sadly, the Lake Washington School District has not demonstrated mutual respect for classified staff. They refuse to acknowledge the economic realities that our members face on a day-to-day basis. The District has expected LWESP to accept District arguments for a large ending-fund balance and abandon the needs of our members. We have refused to abandon our advocacy for our members. Interest-based bargaining does not work well in a paternalistic system.

We are moving to a proposal-based approach to bargaining. Each party provides written proposals to each other and written counter proposals. The issues are more clearly defined and parties have to provide answers to questions about interpretation, ramifications, and rationale. LWESP sent out a message that outlined the latest District proposal. It was insulting to every member of LWESP. The LWESP Bargaining Team is meeting during the Winter Break to draft a bargaining package to present to the District and respond to the District's proposal. The Washington Education Association (WEA) has sent in a crisis team to assist LWESP in bargaining, organizing and communications.

The District cancelled the December 15 session, so the parties will need to schedule additional bargaining sessions in January and February. Stay tuned for further developments.

Donna Lurie
WEA-Cascade
Supporting the LWESP Bargain

Will Not Happen.

2009-12-14T11:26:00.000-08:00

The district is not meeting with the bargaining team tomorrow. The bargaining team heard over the weekend that this date would not work for the district team. The district team has asked our team for possible meeting dates in January 2010 or February 2010.

*PLEASE READ YOUR HOME EMAIL

2009-12-09T09:27:00.000-08:00

*Expect an informational email this Monday from your UniServ Representative, Lora Hein.

Your bargaining team met with the district yesterday Tuesday, December 8th from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm. The next bargaining session is scheduled for Tuesday, December 15th from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. Your LWESP Exec Board will also be meeting Tuesday.

Watch LWESP members at the December 7th school board meeting!

2009-12-08T13:58:00.001-08:00

Here is the link to the school board page. In the left blue column click on Board Meeting Videos. Scroll down to the December 7th video and once it starts to play move the cursor to 32:00 minutes in.
http://www.lwsd.org/About/School-Board

Monday, December 7th!

2009-12-08T12:18:00.000-08:00

This is the sign that over 60 LWESP members and their supporters displayed at the LWSD school board meeting Monday night!

TONIGHT! SCHOOL BOARD MEETING

2009-12-07T10:28:00.000-08:00

If you are planning on attending tonight's school board meeting please be there at 6:30 PM. You will need to sign up if you are planning on speaking. The meeting starts at 7:00 PM.

BARGAINING TEAM NEWS!

2009-12-04T09:06:00.000-08:00

The bargaining team will be meeting with the district on Tuesday, December 8th from 5 to 7 PM.
Please show your support for your LWESP team by wearing your shirts or bright green or bright blue Monday and Tuesday!

If you can send signs or messages of support to your teams so they feel your presence at the meeting it would be most appreciated.

Lora Hein
UniServ Representative
WEA-Samamish UniServ Council

Redmond Reporter, Letter to the Editor

2009-12-01T11:19:00.000-08:00

From Libby Boucher, Secretary at Samantha Smith Elementary School:

Our counselor Marian Illingworth wrote a letter to the editor in response the recent LWESP article.
http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/east_king/red/opinion/letters/73700437.html

Thank You Marion!

Press Release

2009-11-18T14:49:00.000-08:00

Last week the following press release was sent to reporters of local papers:
**************************************************************************************

On Tuesday evening, November 10, a full house of Lake Washington Educational Support Professionals, the local union comprised of the office professionals in the Lake Washington School District, gathered to take an advisory vote of support for their bargaining team.

The Lake Washington Educational Support Professionals (LWESP) union is in the process of bargaining a new contract with the school district. Negotiations occur every three years and the latest contract expired in August. Negotiation meetings have continued to take place between the district and the LWESP, however progress has been slow. The members present voted overwhelmingly (over 90 percent in support) to tell their bargaining team they would not be willing to ratify any settlement that does not improve their pay by at least 10%. Even a 15% increase would not result in reaching a living wage for most of the membership, but they see it as a necessary step if they are ever to attain that level of compensation.

LWESP is seeking to get all of its members to a level of pay equal to a Living Wage. A Living Wage is compensation ample enough to allow a person to live in and be a contributing member of the community in which they work. At present, wages for LWESP fall well below this level and many members are dependent on second or third jobs to supplement their income, their LWESP salary is such that their children qualify for free and reduced lunch program in our district. The majority of LWESP staff have been in secretarial support positions in the district for eight or more years and the members of LWESP believe that this dedication deserves fair compensation.

Every child's teacher is the classroom point of contact between the School District and the community. Supporting teachers and the students is a group of highly trained and dedicated professionals. From payroll and data processors to school secretaries and the office managers, every child's education is a team effort.

Lake Washington School District needs to pay their Educational Support Professionals (ESPs) fair wages in order to attract and retain quality school employees in all job categories. Teachers need competent, professional support to help them continue doing quality work and parents need to know that the safety and well-being of their children is in the hands of competent professionals.

The community benefits whether they have children in the schools or not when employees paid with their tax dollars are themselves able to purchase goods and services in the community and support the local and state tax base.

Current levels of pay for LWESP represented staff range between $13.53 and $20.80 per hour. A living wage for the Eastside has been calculated at between $23.05 and $24.55 per hour.

(This article was in the Kirkland Reporter)

A Big Shout

2009-11-18T14:31:00.000-08:00

We send a big shout out to all the members who took the time to support the bargaining team.

One of the most popular choices for action to take was to commit to taking required BREAKS! A couple dozen members took desk signs they could post when they take their breaks. We'd like to know how that is working for everyone. Please let us know in a comment. We will be letting you know more news soon.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

2009-10-09T12:05:00.000-07:00

LWESP met with the school district yesterday and said they were giving us a "heads up" that the school board members were uncomfortable with our LWESP members appearing at these meetings.
Since August, we have had an increasing number of members going to the school board meetings wearing their t-shirts. We were told that some of the board members are interpreting, by our presence, that LWESP does not understand the district is in a dire financial situation. We believe LWSD does have the money to negotiate a fair contract.

Now it's time for us to better inform the public about what we actually make for our responsibilities! What are YOU going to do to demand respect and a living wage?

The bargaining team needs your support in order to make long overdue gains for all of our members.

Let us know which of the following you will commit to doing:
1) Get on the agenda for your local PTSA meetings with our Living Wage video,
Contact lhein@washingtonea.org to use the video &/or the comparable wage "living graph" activity.
2) Talk with teachers, fellow staff members, neighbors and friends.
(Wear your shirt!)
3) Contact your local paper or TV station. (check with Lora at lhein@washingtonea.org for talking points.)

Bargaining is moving very slowly to date. We need your support to get word out to public and let district know we are due a Living Wage and it is within their means to compensate you fairly for the vital services you provide!

Bargaining Update, 9/17/09

2009-09-17T14:53:00.000-07:00

The LWESP bargaining team met on Wednesday, September 16th. We were able to choose dates for future bargains with the district bargaining team. September 28th will be our first meeting of the new school year. There were no meetings that took place over the summer and we are glad to finally be moving forward. We were able to work on future strategies and fine tune the issues that were tentatively agreed upon. We will let you know more after the meeting in September.

Bargaining Team Members:
Lora Hein, UniServ Rep
Jerie Broze, Alcott
Melody Kieffer, JHS
Clarice Louis, EHS
Michael Ruiz, Support Services
Kristine Pluschke, Payroll

Recruiting: Citizens' Levy Committee Member

2009-09-16T11:25:00.000-07:00

We are requesting a volunteer to become of member of the Citizens' Levy Committee.
They would meet twice a month for an hour at the new LWEA office in Kirkland. This committment would be until February 9, 2010, which is voting day.
This is a lunch meeting with Jackie Pendergrass as the unofficial chair. LWESP has a position open and we really would like the opportunity to have a voice, especially with a school board person chairing the meetings.
More information on the time and dates will be given in response to your interest.
Please contact Lorraine VanKomen, your LWESP President.

Members at the August 10th School Board Meeting

2009-08-18T08:55:00.000-07:00

On Monday, August 10, 2009 ten members of our LWESP local (wearing our t-shirts) and Rosemary Wolf, WEA Living Wage President, made a powerful presentation to the LWSD school board sharing with them our concerns about ongoing contract negotiations concerning our wages.

In attendance were Lorraine VanKomen, Melody Kieffer, Cathie Lindgren, Caroline Borrego, Becky Whelchel, Julie Wulf, Sue Nauman, Lana Fulwiler and Mary Osness. We expressed concern that the wages of all administrators and teachers continue to be competitive with surrounding districts. We also mentioned that there is a large ending fund balance this year and that there are funds to consider providing a living wage to most of our members.

August 10, 2009 LWSD Board Meeting!

2009-08-06T14:48:00.000-07:00

Hello LWESP Members ,

At this time LWSD is acting as if they do not want us to have a Living Wage and we need your support! In order for us to get a fair contract and show we have the members’ support for a Living Wage, we need to come together as a strong body with visible numbers. LWESP bargaining and Living Wage Teams are asking all those who are in town to please come to the Resource Center for the LWSD Board Meeting on
Monday, August 10th to show the school board WE DESERVE A LIVING WAGE.

Please meet in the parking lot at 6:00pm wearing your T-shirts and bring your friends and family. Snacks will be provided and an update about bargaining will be presented by Lora Hein. Board meeting will start at 7:00 pm and we want to show the LWSD school board, LWESP members are dedicated, professional, knowledgeable employees and LWSD DOES have funds to support our much needed Living Wage!

We are not asking you to speak or wave signs or anything else. You are members of this community and have as much right to attend a meeting of this importance as anyone else does. By simply showing up wearing your shirts, you will be a visible reminder to the board of your presence and importance. Of course, if anyone does wish to speak, we will be glad to give them support!

Hope to see EVERYONE there!

2009-2010 LWESP Board

2009-06-19T06:04:00.000-07:00

Lorraine VanKomen, LWESP President, would like to thank this year's board members for all their hard work and also announce the new board members.

2009-2010 LWESP Executive Board members are:
President- Lorraine VanKomen
Vice President – Michael Ruiz
Secretary – Janet McPhillips
Treasurer – Clarice Louis
Resource Center Representative- Cathie Lindgren
Special Services Representative- Susan Nissley
Support Services Representative- Lana Fulwiler
High School Representative – Karen Rasler
Junior High School Representative – Becky Whelchel
Elementary Representative- Libby Boucher
Elementary Representative –Julie Wulf
Elementary Representative –Sue Nauman
Webmaster/Blog - Jerie Broze

2008 – 2009 LWESP Executive Board
President- Lorraine VanKomen
Vice President – Jerie Broze
Secretary – Janet McPhillips
Treasurer – Shelley Rios
Resource Center Representative- Cathie Lindgren
Special Services Representative- Susan Nissley
Support Services Representative- Lana Fulwiler
High School Representative – Clarice Louis
High School Representative – Melinda Anderson
Junior High School Representative – Becky Whelchel
Elementary Representative- Libby Boucher
Elementary Representative –Julie Wulf
Elementary Representative –Sue Nauman

LWESP donates to Hopelink

2009-06-15T09:33:00.000-07:00

150 pounds of food were donated to Hopelink in Redmond by LWESP members. The food was collected at the LWESP social on Tuesday, June 9th and then delivered by Cathy Lindgren.

Your LWESP Bargainers' Bios!

2009-06-11T10:28:00.000-07:00

Bargainers’ BIOS!

Hello, my name is Jerie Broze, and this is my 3rd Bargaining round. Truthfully, I wasn't going to do this again but, here I am on the team again and we’re working very hard for ALL our members. This is a tough year for bargaining with state budget cuts and the recession upon us. We all deserve a Living Wage and need everyone’s support to achieve this and look forward to what this campaign brings LWESP members in the future.
LWSD has been my employer for close to 20 years and it all started with making "choo choo" trains and getting paid for it! I love being in education because I am learning something myself every day. I have been married 29years to a LWHS grad and we have two children who are RHS grads. I love to do Jazzercise and spend time with my friends and family.

Melody Kieffer
I am the proud mom of three boys who all attended and graduated from the Lake Washington School District - YEAH to Muir, Kamiakin, and Juanita!
I started working for the district in 1994 as an IA and para sub. Since then I have been an IA at Twain, worked in-school suspension at Rose Hill Junior, was the school secretary at Rose Hill Elementary, worked at the district offices as the benefits coordinator, and am now the Office Manager at Juanita High School. The main reason I joined the bargaining team was because of my varied experiences in the district. I felt I would bring a rounded view of many areas of LWESP.
I love being involved with education, and providing support to the teachers and other staff at JHS and in the district.
GO REBELS!

Michael Ruiz:
Hello Everyone! I am a recent college graduate from Western Washington University in March 2008 and joined the LWSD family in May 2008. I work at the Support Services building. While helping out with many tasks around the office you will usually hear from me when your school needs a substitute custodian. I'm usually the one scheduling one for your building.
I joined the bargaining team because I wanted to get involved and felt that this would be the perfect change to use the skills I obtained from participating in collegiate debate. While I am still new and young, I am eager to stand up for our Union and do the best I can. As a union we are one part of many in the LWSD that strives to help educate and support the children, teenagers, and young adults that reside in our schools.

My name is Clarice Louis and I began my career with LWSD at Eastlake High School in the fall of 1993. After working in the Student Store as an IA for a couple of years, I became the Media Tech until moving into my present position as Office Manager over six years ago. My two children attended LWSD schools until they graduated from Eastlake High School in 2000 and 2002. I have served on the Executive Board as a High school Representative for the past two years. I made the decision to join the bargaining team to represent this group and to make sure that there was a voice for those of us who have chosen a career in the field of Education with the Lake Washington School District.

Kristine Pluschke
I have been with LWSD for 1 1/2 yrs and work in the Payroll/Benefit department. I am married to a teacher/coach and have been involved in the district for over 11 years. I have 2 small children ages 5 and 8 attending Horace Mann. I am also very involved in the community by serving as a member of the Redmond Kiwanis in which support the children of the community. I joined the bargaining team to help bring experience from the payroll and benefit side. I look forward to representing all of you during this bargaining.

Food for the Hopelink Foodbank

2009-05-27T10:32:00.000-07:00

Please bring one item of food for our local foodbank on June 9 to our LWESP Social.

Do we deserve a Living Wage?

2009-05-22T13:57:00.000-07:00

Yes, the economy is having a tough time, and yes, listening to the gloomy reports on the news could lead to lowered expectations. However, this is not the time to underfund education or education employees. Yes, our state and our nation face budget challenges. However, it is especially important at a time when the economy is struggling to make sure that as many people as possible have Living Wage jobs, because everyone who is earning a Living Wage is able to support an economic recovery that lifts others as well. Education is also the single most critical investment for our government to make in the future stability of our communities, state, nation and the world.

Whether times are lean or not, we ALWAYS hear from the district that they “don’t have enough money”. Nonetheless, they continue to manage to not only pay the bills, but authorize other new expenditures at the same time that they maintain an ending fund balance (the money they have left over from what they receive from the state and from levies after making all of their payments over the course of a school year) of several percent. It is a matter of priorities. Yes, there are cuts in state funds this next year and the district is finding ways to save and still have a reserve. The LWESP bargaining team can and will make every effort to help the district understand why our members deserve to be paid a Living Wage, which at this time NONE of our members are receiving for work that anyone will agree is absolutely vital and essential to keeping the schools functioning.

Your LWESP leaders, executive board, bargaining team and Living Wage committee, are all committed to the goal of a Living Wage and are working towards that goal. WEA-Sammamish UniServ Council and LWESP have been trained in how to interpret and understand the budget figures the district is using so we are better prepared to represent you and get the very best settlement possible.

You haven’t heard much about bargaining since the fall Living Wage presentation, but there has been much going on behind the scenes in preparation. You will be hearing more soon. The bargaining team has been meeting with the district to present the interests expressed in the surveys completed in April

We have strength in numbers, knowledge, and the value our members deliver to the district on a daily basis. Even if we do not achieve a full Living Wage in the first year of the next contract, we will make as much progress towards a Living Wage as we can.

LWESP AD!

2009-05-07T08:49:00.000-07:00

Be sure to read LWEA's Update this week. Look in the Want Ads and you will see an ad from LWESP.

NW ESP Issues Conference

2009-04-07T13:19:00.001-07:00

The Northwest ESP Issues Conference will be held Saturday, May 2, at McKnight Middle School in Renton. The informational flyer should have been mailed to your home address from WEA. Please consider attending this conference. WEA-Sammamish does have funds in their budget for you to attend. Registration is $20.00. Please call Cheryl Hopkins at the council at 425-822-9898 ext. 100.

Bargaining Update.

2009-04-07T10:34:00.000-07:00

Your bargaining team is meeting tomorrow, Wednesday April 8th at the WEA-Sammamish Office in Kirkland. This will be a bargain work meeting for just your LWESP team and their UniServ Representative, Lora Hein.

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

2009-04-07T10:30:00.001-07:00

Thank you LWESP members!
You turned in 74 surveys and they have been sent to WEA headquarters for tallying and comment documenting.

EXTENDED - Survey Due Date

2009-03-31T06:56:00.000-07:00

Please note that we have extended the date to April 3, 2009. Please send those surveys to Cheryl Hopkins at WEA-Sammamish. Thank you.

SURVEYS DUE!

2009-03-30T04:41:00.001-07:00

Just a reminder that the LWESP Survey is due. Use inter-district mail and send to WEA-Sammamish.

Friday March 20, 2009 at WEA Federal Way

2009-03-20T17:19:00.001-07:00

Sheila Nokes attended the WEA Living Wage meeting at WEA Federal Way. There are now 6 locals in our state working on Living Wage Campaigns.

Planning today involved discussions around the creation of an ESP - Call to Action DVD, window clings, pens, buttons and additional grant monies.

Sheila shared that our LWESP local now has a blogspot. She also shared that our next plan is to invite the Redmond and Kirkland Chamber members, school board members and the Kiwanis to an informational coffee/tea/dessert time with our Living Wage committee members. The committee plans to share our "Julie" video and have conversations about supporting our issues.

Wednesday's LWESP Membership Meeting

2009-03-19T13:17:00.000-07:00

Last night 35 members attended the LWESP membership meeting at Rose Hill Junior High in the cafeteria. The information from Lorraine VanKomen, your LWESP President and Sheila Nokes, your Living Wage Representative, the sharing, and the food was enjoyed by all.
If you were unable to attend please note that you will be receiving your LWESP Bargaining survey in the district mail today or tomorrow.
Please fill out your survey and return the scan sheet to Cheryl Hopkins at WEA-Sammamish via distict mail by Friday, March 27, 2009.

Here is a group picture of our members wearing their Living Wage T-Shirts last night.

1st Day of LWESP's New Blog

2009-03-15T06:33:00.001-07:00

March 15, 2009
Today Jerie Broze and Cheryl Hopkins are here in Orlando at the NEA ESP Conference. We are creating a new blog for you, our members. This will be a trial and error piece. We plan to inform you all of our Living Wage Campaign and our current bargaining updates.

We hope you visit us weekly and make comments. This will be OUR blogspot. We want everyone to get to know each other and to be informed!

WEA President Mary Lindquist (L) and Kathie Axtell (R)

2009-03-15T06:19:00.001-07:00

Friday night was very exciting. Our own Washingtonian, Kathie Axtell was awarded the 2009 NEA ESP Member of the Year! She is the council president for WEA-Chinook. (from Olympia, WA)

Friday Night Awards Dinner

2009-03-15T06:06:00.001-07:00

Jerie, Lorraine and Lora (and Cheryl) attended this banquet dinner and were able to congratulate Kathie for her outstanding ESP achievement!