School Board Notes, 10.25.2005

Union sit-in shuts down meeting

By Nicole Achs Freeling
GreatSchools.net Correspondent

• Board reschedules meeting for Thursday
• Protesters vow to disrupt next meeting, too

Several hundred noisy protesters occupied the school district board room Tuesday, taking over board members' seats and refusing to let scheduled business proceed. The action was organized by SEIU Local 790, the union representing custodians, secretaries and cafeteria workers, which has been at an impasse with the district for several weeks over contract negotiations and now says it is close to calling a strike. Joining in the protest were several hundred members of the teachers union, which is involved in its own contract struggle with the district.

Board reschedules meeting for Thursday After about 45 minutes in which speakers with bullhorns addressed the crowd and led chants and cheers, Board President Eric Mar announced the board would postpone its meeting rather than arrest the demonstrators. "We cannot in good conscience have our brothers and sisters in the district dragged out by police, so we're going to continue to meet in closed session," Mar told the group, before being drowned out by a chorus of "No secret meetings!" and "Shame on you." The regular board meeting has been rescheduled for Thursday at 7:30.

The demonstrators entered the board room shortly before 7 p.m., occupied seats usually reserved for board members and district officials, and packed the room to well over its seating capacity of 140. Demonstrators also jammed the entrance hall and the sidewalk in front of the district. Some 35 police officers were summoned to the scene to remove the protesters if necessary, according to Northern Precinct Police Captain Kevin Dillon. The protesters could have been cited for disrupting a public meeting, but the board declined to press charges.

“We didn’t want to escalate matters by having people arrested,” Mar said. However, he said, he did not think it was in the unions’ interest to continue to disrupt the functioning of the board.

Protesters vow to disrupt next meeting, too Demonstrators have threatened to continue to sit in at future meetings, including that on Thursday.

Speakers spoke of the need for a cost of living raise, which neither service employees nor teachers have had for five years. They questioned the district’s claimed lack of funds and raised the issue of salary increases of more than 10 percent for district executives, and of Superintendent Arlene Ackerman's controversial $375,000 severance package.

"The district wants us to vote on their proposals," SEIU union representative Josey Mooney said. If Ackerman would agree to return her severance package, "we will put their crummy proposals to a vote," Mooney said.

On Monday, SEIU was granted strike sanction from the labor council, according to Mooney, meaning it can legally hold a strike. A fact-finding panel has been convened for Oct. 31 and Nov. 1, and will then have 30 days to issue its report. However, Mooney said she could not promise the union would wait until then. "We will be strategic and we will give public notice." Pressed for how much time she meant by notice, Mooney said: "We'll be responsible. We have children, too."

According to Mooney, other unions that bargain with the district have said they will not cross picket lines. "There will not be school buses, there will not be teachers and there will not be building trades" if the service employees strike, she said.

According to Mar, the district has been meeting with members of Mayor Gavin Newsom’s office, including the mayor himself, his key educational advisor, his chief of staff and City Controller Ed Harrington to solicit their suggestions for avoiding a strike.

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