Low paid Croton school workers show up in force at Board of Education meeting.
Teacher's aides and lunch room workers are in negotiations with the district for a contract that gives more than measly wages and stingy working conditions. And they have a lot of community support.
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When we posted a story last month about the campaign of low-paid workers in the Croton-Harmon schools for a better contract, it quickly became the most viewed story we have published in the Chronicle’s seven months of existence. About 2000 people have now viewed it. We take that as a sign that the people of Croton are sympathetic with the teacher aides, lunch room monitors, and other largely unheralded employees without whom teachers could not teach and students could not learn.
At last evening’s Board of Education meeting, a contingent of about 20 school workers showed up to demonstrate their solidarity with the union campaign. Several villagers also spoke on their behalf during public comments.
Among the speakers was Dave Tuttle, a special education teacher’s aide in Croton-Harmon High School. Tuttle was born and raised in Croton and attended the high school he is now working at. He has kindly allowed us to quote his entire remarks to the Board, which we do just below.
The contract is up for renewal in June. The Chronicle will update this story as events require.
“CHANGE THE SYSTEM”
“AND JUSTICE FOR ALL”
HELLO, MY NAME IS DAVE TUTTLE
I HAVE BEEN A TEACHER'S AIDE HERE AT CHHS FOR ABOUT A YEAR AND AND HALF.
I AM A NYS CERTIFIED TEACHERS ASSISTANT.
THIS PROBABLY THE MOST REWARDING JOBS OF IN MY LIFETIME.
I LOVE COMING TO WORK EVERYDAY
I LOVE THE STUDENTS, MY COLLEAGUES AND COMMUNITY.
I AM BORN AND RAISED CROTON AND HAVE LIVED HERE NEARLY MY ENTIRE LIFE
I AM A CHHS ALUM, CLASS OF 1981
MY BROTHERS ATTENDED CROTON SCHOOLS (CLASS OF 72 &74) AS DID MY TWO GROWN CHILDREN (CLASS OF 2011 & 2015) AS DID COUNTLESS COUSINS, AUNTS AND UNCLES.
MY WIFE WAS A ONE ON ONE AIDE FOR A BLIND STUDENT IN CET. SHE DID HER STUDENT TEACHING AT PVC AND IS NOW A TEACHER OF VISUALLY IMPAIRED AT THE PINESBRIDGE SCHOOL AT BOCES IN YORKTOWN
I PRIMARILY WORK WITH SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS AND FACULTY, IN CLASSROOM FOR ENGLISH 10-12, GLOBAL AND US HISTORY
I AM ALSO A TEST CENTER AIDE FOR ALL STUDENTS WITH ACCOMMODATIONS ON A DAILY BASIS
I PROCTOR STANDARDIZED TESTS SUCH AS REGENTS, LANGUAGE AND APS FOR STUDENTS WITH ACCOMMODATIONS AND SPECIAL NEEDS
I AM SCHEDULED TO WORK 7:30-3:10 MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY
I HAVE A 40 MINUTE UNPAID LUNCH AND NO SCHEDULED PAID BREAKS.
AIDES DO NOT HAVE "FREES"
I AM SCHEDULED TO BE IN 8 CLASSROOMS PER DAY
I AM OFTEN ASKED TO COVER A CLASSROOM OR SUBSTITUTE
I AM PAID AN ADDITIONAL $25.00 TO $35.00 PER DAY TO SUBSTITUTE, BRINGING MY DAILY PAY TO A WHOPPING $149.00 TO $159.00. THATS PRE TAX!
THE ADMINISTRATION KNOWS THEY CAN COUNT ON ME IF THEY GET IN A BIND, WHICH HAPPENS OFTEN AND I AM HAPPY TO HELP.
I AM OFFERED THE DISTRICTS HEALTH INSURANCE HOWEVER I MUST PAY 100% OF THE COST
I AM NOT CONSIDERED A PERMANENT EMPLOYEE OF THE DISTRICT AND CANNOT CLAIM OF RECEIVE UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS WHEN SCHOOL IS NOT IN SESSION.
AT THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, I MUST SIGN A DOCUMENT THAT I PLAN ON RETURNING FOR THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR. THIS LETTER PREVENTS ME FROM FILING FOR UNEMPLOYMENT.
WE ARE ONLY PAID FOR 2 PERSONAL DAYS AND 4 SICK DAYS PER YEAR
WE ARE PAID FOR 6 HOLIDAYS; LABOR DAY, CHRISTMAS DAY, PRESIDENTS DAY, THANKSGIVING DAY AND DAY AFTER AND 1 DAY DURING SPRING BREAK.
I AM NOT PAID FOR 24 SCHEDULED SCHOOL HOLIDAYS/VACATIONS/CLOSING.
IF WE USE MORE THAN 3 SNOW DAYS, I AM NOT PAID FOR ADDITIONAL SNOW DAYS/CLOSINGS
I GET PAID $17.60/HR, THAT'S $1.68 ABOVE NYS MINIMUM WAGE.
I HAVE AN ANNUALIZED BIWEEKLY CHECK FOR $1,078.48 OR A 10 MONTH ENTITLEMENT OF $22,648.08.
IF I USE MORE THAN SIX DAYS (SICK PERSONAL) OR MORE SNOW DAYS ARE ADDED THESE NUMBERS COME DOWN.
IF I WORK 6 YEARS OR MORE MY HOURLY PAY WILL INCREASE .20 CENTS. I WOULD BE 67 BEFORE I’M ELIGIBLE FOR THAT “RAISE”
HOW IS THIS OK WITH ALL OF YOU?
HOW DO YOU THINK I FEEL HAVING SAT THROUGH THIS MEETING AND HEARD YOUR APPROVAL OF TENS OF MILLIONS DOLLARS IN OUR CURRENT BUDGET BUT NOTHING FOR US.
THIS IS NOT WHO WE ARE AS A SCHOOL DISTRICT
THIS IS NOT WHO WE ARE AS A COMMUNITY
THERE NEEDS TO BE JUSTICE FOR US HARD WORKING AND NECESSARY AIDES AND OUR FAMILIES
DON'T KEEP TELLING US WE DON’T HAVE THE MONEY, YOU FOUND MILLIONS FOR A TURF FIELD AND LIGHTS. YOU CAN FIND MONEY FOR US.
ADD THE FAIR WAGES AND COMPENSATION TO OUR NEXT BUDGET OR REFERENDUM/PROPOSITION
I GUARANTEE THE COMMUNITY, AS IT ALWAYS HAS, FOR AS LONG A I CAN REMEMBER, WILL PASS IT.
THIS SITUATION IS DISGUSTING, UNFAIR AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED IMMEDIATELY.
WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO?
DO YOU REALLY SUPPORT US?
OR IS ALL THE PRAISE AND “APPRECIATION” FOR OUR WONDERFUL AIDES WHICH WHO WE COULD NEVER THANK ENOUGH’
OR IS IT ALL JUST BULLSHIT!
ARE YOU PREPARED TO DO WHAT IS JUST AND RIGHT.
IT'S UP TO YOU.
IF YOU CARE
WILL [YOU] DO THE RIGHT THING ?”
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