LWSD secretaries went way too far
March 18, 2010
By Administrator
Somewhere out there is a medical professional who could earn an award for studying this phenomenon. Somehow, about 60 percent of the secretaries in the Lake Washington School District got sick on the same day. Never mind that their union, legally prohibited from striking, is in the midst of a protracted contract dispute with the school district — secretaries still say they or a family member got sick March 8. “Believe what you want,” said a union representative.
One thing’s certain — we don’t believe them. A union official, a few days before, posted a note on the union’s blog saying they were fed up with coming to work when they or a family member was sick, as if this is some small act of heroism to show up when they’ve got a sniffle.
Here’s a bit of news for you, folks: You’re not special. Everyone in America has gone into work when they are sick, especially in this economy when most feel lucky to have a job.
We believe in the right of workers to organize for collective bargaining purposes, but holding an illegal sick-out and then lying about it is not the act of a group entering into serious labor negotiations. It is the act of petulant children holding their breath because they didn’t get ponies on their birthdays.
The district has been accommodating in changing the way the secretaries will get raises. The sticking point now is that the secretaries think they should reach the top of their pay scale after 11 years, while the district thinks it should take 15.
So, after getting a cost of living increase every year and a raise every few years (by the way, this raise is just for showing up at work, not for taking on more responsibility, or, Heaven forbid, for exceptional performance) the secretaries think they should reach their highest salary in 11 years.
In what profession does a person hit the top after 11 years? To be clear, these raises are given not because of a promotion, but simply for showing up.
The secretaries should take the (too generous) offer of the school district, and count themselves lucky if they don’t get fired for the sick out.
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