association buzz
Local roundup
Pinckney custodians land first contract as MEA members
Custodians (left
to right) Michael
Bishop, Amy Gross
and Jeff Hammon
are leaders in
Pinckney Building
and Grounds Staff
Association. The
group successfully
fought a
privatization bid in
their district.
Shortly after voting to join MEA—and before they negotiated their first contract— Pinckney custodians were threatened with privatization.
With MEA’s help, the 31 custodians fought back—and won. They kept their jobs and settled the contract, voting just weeks before school started on a two-year pact.
“These people really stepped up to the plate to stay employed by the school district,” said Amy Gross, a Pinckney custodian, referring to her colleagues who agreed to some contractual changes to help the district make ends meet.
Members of the Pinckney Building and Grounds Staff Association switched medical plans and accepted slightly lower wages in the deal. The package was much better than proposals the district had offered. At one point, the district called for a 15 percent wage cut, said Brad Gibson, a Brighton teacher hired by MEA to help negotiate the contract.
“It was pretty drastic,” Gibson said of the district’s early offer.
Pinckney custodians landed their first contract as MEA members, averting the privatization of their jobs.
In the end, the custodians were thankful to keep their jobs. For months, district officials told the custodians that they were taking bids from private contractors that they said could save the district about $400,000, said Gross, secretary-treasurer of the new local association.
Pinckney had experience with privatization. Years earlier, the district had hired an outside company to clean and maintain its facilities. The scheme didn’t last long, however. Dissatisfied with the setup, the district brought the jobs back in house.
So, when privatization was proposed this time around, the custodians reminded school officials and community members about the pitfalls of privatization. MEA supported the local efforts, providing expert counsel to manage the crisis and financial aid for community relations.
Keeping the custodians on staff resulted in substantial savings, Gross said. The custodians helped the district save $430,000; they saved the district a projected $100,000 by implementing smarter work strategies.
The new contract includes some positive language dealing with seniority, layoffs and recall, and members’ attendance at professional conferences. They also were able to get rid of a cap on their medical premium.
“We’re still Pinckney Pirates,” said Gross, who has 25 years’ experience in the district.