At Issue
Battle Creek secretaries prepare to fight further cutbacks
Like
a traffic cop at the town’s busiest
intersection during rush hour, the
school secretary directs a whirlwind of
activity every day.
“We do it all,” said Linda Brunson,
president of the Battle Creek Educational
Secretaries, counting off a list of activities
that typically involves helping students,
teachers, administrators and other support
staff members, and dealing with
parents on a daily basis.
“We directly serve a principal or administrator, but we come in touch with and are able to help so many others during the school day. In many cases, we’re also the school nurse.”
As valuable as they are, their jobs could
be in jeopardy as the Battle Creek school
board conducts a study on privatization.
Over the last three years, Brunson’s secretarial unit already has gone from 65 members to 51. Last year, the board cut back some secretaries who worked 12 months and 11 months to a 10-month work year to save money.
“We’ve lost money, sick time and vacation time” because of the cutbacks, Brunson said. “We have an experienced staff of secretaries, some with more than 30 years of experience and many others with 20 to 25 years. Many of us are the sole providers for our families. These cutbacks really hurt.”
The cutbacks have stirred up her members.
“We’re a part of this community,” Brunson said. “We live here and work here. Our children go to school here.”
Brunson was assured that their ESP jobs won’t be privatized this school year but remained uncertain about the future. No promises were made after this year.
“If privatization happens, we’ll stand
together against it,” she said.