Fighting Mischief in Our Individual Contracts Abraham Lincoln once said that nearly all men can stand

adversity, but if you want to test a mans character, give him power. By this test, many of us are learning a lot about the character of the districts we work for under Scott Walkers regime in Wisconsin. Several districts in our area are not satisfied with the rights and job security we have already lost due to Walkers Act 10. They are interested in stripping us of still more rights and respect by modifying the individual contracts we are issued each year. These districts have issued contracts that are legally binding for us, under penalty of significant liquidated damages or lawsuits, but which the districts themselves are free to breach or effectively modify with no consequences. Our attorneys at WEAC Legal believe that certain provisions in these stripped down contracts are not legal. In the School District of Greenfield, we have begun the process of filing a lawsuit. However, by working with several other districts we have been able to achieve appropriate modification and clarification of individual contracts so that our members rights are retained. In others we are still attempting to work out a resolution. Historically, the individual contract is supposed to be a fair agreement that binds both parties. As professional educators we have had the rights and respect entailed in the individual contract for over a century. By staying united and using the legal expertise we have available to us, we can preserve these valuable rights for WEAC members. Ted Kraig, Council #10 Subcontracting defeated in Pulaski Since January, the Pulaski Cook/Custodial Association (PCCA) and the Pulaski Bus Drivers Association (PBDA), along with support from the Pulaski Education Association (PEA) and the Pulaski Educational Support Personnel Association (PESPA), have been actively organizing around the School Boards threat to subcontract support staff jobs. Weekly organizing meetings were held in January and February. 85% of the PCCA/PBDA responded to an Association survey about their jobs, district and community involvement. This information was used to create several hundred flyers that were distributed to members, local residents and businesses. The four units successfully organized an estimated 300 people to attend the February 1st school board meeting. Almost 20 people spoke to the Board in support of the staff and in opposition to outsourcing custodial, food service and transportation services. In spite of this overwhelming support of retaining local staff, the Board, in its ultimate wisdom, unanimously voted to obtain bids from vendors for all three service areas. Transportation supervisors and members again spoke to the Board at its February 15th meeting. The Board decided at that time not to request bids for transportation services. After that meeting, the Associations jointly submitted an open records request for budget and subcontracting bid information for custodial and food services. A letter was also sent to 110 local businesses about the potential outsourcing of local jobs. At the March 7th Board meeting, custodial and food service members, the custodial supervisor and a member of the public (who identified himself as a member of Local 1495 from the Green Bay School District) also spoke against subcontracting. The Board decided at that meeting to find other means to reduce custodial costs and not outsource positions. The School Board heard presentations from two food service vendors at their April 4th meeting. Prior to the start of the April 25th Board meeting, PCCA food service members prepared a variety of food for the Board members to sample to demonstrate that the

May 2012

District employees can provide better and healthier lunch choices for students than an outside company. Financial information supporting retaining in-house food service was also presented to the Board. The Board was expected to make a decision whether to outsource food service at its May 2nd meeting, but instead postponed making a decision until later in May. A publication of School Employees United - 13805 West Burleigh Road, Brookfield, WI, 53005 Sue Britz, BLUE