20 hours ago
Support staff of Colorado school district rallies for union recognition
Support staff and parents at Aurora Public Schools packed Tuesday's school board meeting, demanding a pathway to union recognition, and an end to what they call "union busting" inside the district.
Education Support Professionals (ESPs) -- including paraeducators, bus drivers, nutrition workers, custodians and front office staff -- say they keep schools running, but have no voice in decisions that impact their jobs and students.
Presently, only licensed staff such as teachers have the right to unionize at APS.
Last semester, more than 60% of classified ESP employees signed a petition in support of forming a union.
"We do work that is critical to making our school run," said Brandi Edmonds, an educational assistant at Clara Brown School. "We support our high needs students, keep buildings clean, make sure students get to and from school safely, feed our students daily. We deserve a voice in our district."
Edmonds said her role extends far beyond teaching technology classes for students. She also acts as her school's IT support. Despite that, she doesn't qualify for the same bargaining rights as teachers.
"It sucks. It's really scary, and it's unfortunate," Edmonds said. "We have so many staff who are so important in so many ways that don't have the protections that teachers do."
Workers said they are fighting for fair wages, stronger benefits, bilingual pay, and job-specific training that would better prepare them to support students.
At Tuesday's rally, Edmonds called out what she described as intimidation tactics from district administrators.
"APS administrators have been illegally threatening and intimidating workers, saying that they cannot form a union and not to talk to organizers," Edmonds told the crowd. "But we are not going to sit by while our co-workers are threatened. The majority has spoken, and we demand respect, dignity, and a say in our working conditions -- because our working conditions are our students' learning conditions."
In a statement, APS said, "We have no knowledge of threats or intimidation. That is not representative of who we are as a district. Because this is a pending proposal, we are unable to comment further at this time."
Liz Waddick, vice president of the Colorado Education Association, said support staff unions already exist in other districts, including Cherry Creek and Boulder Valley.
"There has never been a better time for workers to organize," Waddick said. "It shows a real functioning school district when workers have the right and a say in their contract and working conditions."
APS wasn't able to comment further on their demands, as they're just now getting the petition. This wasn't an agenda item Tuesday, but the board listened to their concerns. They said this won't be the end of this conversation.
"I hope the school board hears us," Edmonds said. "We're struggling and we need their support."
