H-W aides fight for new contract

A group of Hewlett-Woodmere school employees who have gone nearly a year without a new contract have taken their case to the Board of Education.

More than 40 members of the United Public Service Employees Union gathered at the Dec. 16 Hewlett-Woodmere school board meeting at the Woodmere Education Center dressed in black and sporting pins that read, "No respect, no seniority, no contract." "We respectfully ask that the Board of Education review this issue," the union’s president, Kevin Boyle, said in a prepared statement. "Experienced employees should be valued and not tossed aside."

District employees who are part of the UPSEU number around 200, including teacher aides, monitors, teacher assistants and security aides. The union’s bargaining unit has been negotiating with District 14 officials for the past year, but at their last session a few weeks ago, the two sides declared an impasse, and a state mediator will now get involved, said Kimberly Nowakowski, regional director and vice president of the UPSEU. The expired contract between the schools and the union was a three-year deal.

"Due to a confidentiality agreement, the district is unable to comment on ongoing collective bargaining negotiations," Kathleen Anderson, assistant superintendent of human resources and student services for the Hewlett-Woodmere Public Schools, said in a statement. "We greatly value and care for all of our employees. Our primary responsibility is to make the best choices and decisions for our students and staff, and [we] use this fundamental principle as the cornerstone of our negotiations with various employee groups."

The UPSEU also represents a secretarial unit, which is also operating without a contract, and a custodial, grounds, maintenance, computer technicians and food service unit.

"The teacher aides are treated like they don't count," Hewlett resident James McCloat said at the meeting. "That is an injustice to a group of your employees that could easily have an adverse affect on the welfare of our children, especially those who are handicapped and depend so much on teacher aides."