Secretaries’ timing is all wrong
December 4, 2009
Almost everyone in America thinks they are worth more money than they are paid. Some of them are even right.
That said, we’re not particularly surprised that the secretaries union in the Lake Washington School District thinks their members deserve a raise. However, we are dumbfounded at the timing of the request.
Set aside the fact that those secretaries already have a pay scale that allows them to earn more money than secretaries in the adjacent Bellevue and Issaquah school districts.
Perhaps the secretaries haven’t noticed, but we’re just coming out of a global economic meltdown of historic proportions. They say they want their share of the pot. There is no pot to share. Last year, the school district moved heaven and earth to prevent teacher layoffs. District families saw some of their fees triple just so their child could play a sport.
The state, which accounts for most of the school district’s funding, just announced it will have to come up with $2 billion somehow.
Precious few people in the country are getting a raise right now, and almost no one in the public sector. Sammamish city employees offered to take a pay cut, although the City Council didn’t take them up on it. The secretaries need to realize they are part of a larger community that cannot afford to pay them what they would like.
We are also disturbed by their misuse of the “living wage” information. “Living wage” is a concept that acknowledges that since the minimum wage has not kept up with inflation, the amount of money needed to live in a place is usually higher than the minimum. Pennsylvania State University, which maintains a database on the topic, calculates the living wage in Sammamish to be $9.29/hour for a single person and $17.52/hour for a single parent. It ranges up to $28.63/hour for a family of four with one employed adult.
The secretaries are asking $23-$24/hour.
We hope the school district will stand fast against the union’s demands at this time. If the secretaries feel they’re not paid enough, they can always seek employment elsewhere.
Almost everyone in America thinks they are worth more money than they are paid. Some of them are even right.
That said, we’re not particularly surprised that the secretaries union in the Lake Washington School District thinks their members deserve a raise. However, we are dumbfounded at the timing of the request. Read more
Mayoral terms might double in length
December 4, 2009
New: Dec. 4, 9:09 a.m.
After 10 years of being out of compliance with state law, the City Council is mulling over a change to the length of mayoral terms from one year to two years.
City Manager Ben Yazici made the case for changing the length of mayoral terms at the Dec. 1 meeting.
“We’re kind of one of those exceptions out there,” Yazici said, explaining that he didn’t know of any other Washington city that had one-year mayoral terms. “It kind of limits the mayor’s effectiveness in the regional arena. I think it would serve us well. It’s the decision of the council.” Read more
