Gilroy
– The school district’s 90 teacher aides worked without a
contract last year, and continue to do so, because they are asking
for a raise that the district says is impossible.
About 15 of Gilroy Unified School District’s paraprofessionals
asked the school board recently to authorize a salary increase
– they’re asking for a 6 percent raise after more than a year of
contract negotiations.
By Lori Stuenkel
Gilroy – The school district’s 90 teacher aides worked without a contract last year, and continue to do so, because they are asking for a raise that the district says is impossible.
About 15 of Gilroy Unified School District’s paraprofessionals asked the school board recently to authorize a salary increase – they’re asking for a 6 percent raise after more than a year of contract negotiations. They brought signs with messages like “No Raise!! How can we afford the higher medical costs?”
The paraprofessionals, who work with special education students, disabled students, vocational education classes, and in preschools, did not receive a raise two years ago.
They want a pay increase to be effective for last year, when teachers received a 3 percent raise and got all medical benefits covered by the district. No other employee group received either a raise or benefits increase.
Negotiations have been at an impasse all summer, and the employees and the district are set to meet with a mediator for the third and final time later this month.
Paraprofessional Leona Burge, who works at the high school, said the average paraprofessional makes less than $14,000 a year, and many work part time.
“If they’re expected to pick up the increased cost of benefits this year, it will be about one-sixth of their salary,” said Burge, who has worked for GUSD for more than 30 years. “And the paras deserve better than that.”
In the past five years, the employee group received raises twice, most recently a 5 percent increase in 2001-02.
Rene Bettencourt, who said she has been a GUSD paraprofessional for six years, said the district doesn’t value the work done by herself and her peers.
“I enjoy what I do, but it’s getting disappointing because I don’t feel like I’m being respected like I should,” said Judy Gifford. “I’m struggling like most people to keep up with the cost of living.”
Board President Jaime Rosso and Superintendent Edwin Diaz both responded to the paraprofessionals’ statements, to both reiterate the district’s budget crunch and to assure the employees that they are valued.
“It’s clear that you do an important service for the district, I think there’s no question about that …” Rosso said.
He also said a raise for the employee group would be “money we don’t have.”
Diaz said he expects to start this year’s budget cutting process as soon as this month.
“When people say we’re in a budget crunch, that resources are limited – that’s the reality of the situation,” he said.
The reason teachers received a 3 percent raise last year when no other group did was because, when compared with other districts, their salaries were the lowest.
He told the paraprofessionals the lack of a pay increase is not a reflection on whether the district values the aides’ work.
“I do want you to know that it’s appreciated and it’s always been valued …,” Diaz said.
The mediator working with the district and paraprofessionals could recommend the issue go to fact-finding later this month, said Pat Lerman, field representative for the Gilroy Federation of Teachers and Paraprofessionals.
In fact-finding, the state will access the district’s financial records to determine its ability to pay.
