No pay for 119 school union members who took a sick day
REDMOND, Wash. -- The 119 school secretaries across 50 school in the Lake Washington School District who called in sick en masse are really feeling sick now.
The district is refusing to pay office personnel who stayed home Monday to make a point about contract negotiations.
When those 119 secretaries arrived at the office Tuesday, the district had a letter waiting for them.
"It says you will not be paid for your time off Monday, March 8," said Donna Lurie, the chief negotiator for the Lake Washington Educational Support Personnel Union.
A district spokeswoman said the sick day was a violation of the employees' contract.
"We understood action of the union taking sick leave without being sick is a violation of the contract," said Kathryn Reith. "We will not be paying them for that day."
The secretaries' union lashed back with a letter promising to file a grievance on behalf of each of the 119 office personnel who took a sick day.
"I was extremely upset that a district of this kind of caliber used heavy handed draconian intimidating actions for employees who have the right to use their sick day leave," Lurie said.
The district says as an employer, it must respond to employees violating policies.
But the union denies wrongdoing, denies a work stoppage, and says presuming guilt before investigating is wrong.
"They should be assuming the employee is innocent until they check the facts out, and then determine whether or not the employee has engaged in any misconduct," said Lurie.
The school secretaries are pushing for a competitive living wage which the district claims it is offering.
Contract negotiations have dragged on for 13 months, and neither side believes this weeks' barbs will help soften or settle differences.
The union is promising legal action to retrieve wages and heads back to the bargaining table Wednesday.
The district is refusing to pay office personnel who stayed home Monday to make a point about contract negotiations.
When those 119 secretaries arrived at the office Tuesday, the district had a letter waiting for them.
"It says you will not be paid for your time off Monday, March 8," said Donna Lurie, the chief negotiator for the Lake Washington Educational Support Personnel Union.
A district spokeswoman said the sick day was a violation of the employees' contract.
"We understood action of the union taking sick leave without being sick is a violation of the contract," said Kathryn Reith. "We will not be paying them for that day."
The secretaries' union lashed back with a letter promising to file a grievance on behalf of each of the 119 office personnel who took a sick day.
"I was extremely upset that a district of this kind of caliber used heavy handed draconian intimidating actions for employees who have the right to use their sick day leave," Lurie said.
The district says as an employer, it must respond to employees violating policies.
But the union denies wrongdoing, denies a work stoppage, and says presuming guilt before investigating is wrong.
"They should be assuming the employee is innocent until they check the facts out, and then determine whether or not the employee has engaged in any misconduct," said Lurie.
The school secretaries are pushing for a competitive living wage which the district claims it is offering.
Contract negotiations have dragged on for 13 months, and neither side believes this weeks' barbs will help soften or settle differences.
The union is promising legal action to retrieve wages and heads back to the bargaining table Wednesday.