Craft workers press Board on pay parity as district opens successor contract talks

The Board held a public hearing required under the Educational Employment Relations Act to receive testimony related to successor bargaining proposals with several joint craft unions representing classified craft workers.

Tom Ruiz (district staff) described the hearing as part of the negotiation process and noted the district was arranging meetings for union representatives to meet with the superintendent. Multiple classified craft employees testified about pay disparities with city civil‑service counterparts, furlough days, higher health costs, and attrition from the district. John Ahern, a plumber with 32 years of district service, cited a superior court judgment he said affected classified employees and urged parity, and Marie Jackson and other tradespeople described specialized, union‑trained skills and recent hard maintenance work that they said justified comparability with city pay scales.

Speakers said staffing shortages force remaining workers to cover emergency and complex repairs; speakers also asked the Board to review pay scales and consider labor and personnel referrals. Commissioner Yi announced a recusal from negotiations due to a potential conflict of interest. The hearing provided a public record of craftworker concerns but did not include a negotiated agreement or board action that night; staff said further meetings and negotiation steps were underway.