PAY GAP? ARE YOU ANGRY ENOUGH TO...?
by Laura Hlinak
When the Santa Fe School Board adopted the 2006-07 calendar in January, they directed the business office to work with NEA-SF to find a way to minimize the financial impact to employees.
NEA-Santa Fe conducted a survey to find out what solutions might work for employees who would be financially affected by the 06-07 school calendar. Over 200 employees from 21 sites responded, with the most popular response being to receive paychecks twice each month instead of every two weeks. NEA-SF met with business office representatives, including John Wolfe, last week.
The business office nixed that option. Technically, that change would be very difficult for them to implement and given our experience with the AS400, that isn’t hard to believe. We asked if the summer paychecks could be paid sooner. Even that option was frowned upon, but they said they would consider that, but made no promises.
Now we have to wonder how much of the business office’s reluctance is due to their own disinterest in finding a solution instead of lack of technical capability. John Wolfe’s remarks to Capital High School staff on Thursday to take your complaints to NEA is completely inappropriate. We already took a reasonable -–and popular–- solution to them and were turned down.
The Business Office had no solution except to withhold the third March paycheck until August, which creates a four week pay gap in March instead of August. The mandate from the school board to find a solution went to the business office staff, and when faced with a complaint about their “can’t do solution,” their response was to shift the responsibility to NEA, which has no authority to implement any solution.
NEA-SF recommends that you attend the school board meeting Tuesday, Feb. 21, to let the board members know that you expect more effort from the Business Office to find real, working solutions for us. The Board Meeting starts at 430 p.m. at Kaune Elementary School. You can show your support during the NEA report during the first part of the meeting, and also address the board at the public forum later in the meeting.
If you are unable to attend the meeting, write a call or email your school board members.
Martin Lujan, President District 3 - Alvord, Carlos Gilbert, Gonzales, Tesuque, BECC *Oath Taken: 3/1/05. Term Expires: 2009 mglujan1@yahoo.com
Carmichael Dominguez,Vice President District 4 - Agua Fria, Cesar Chavez,Sweeney, Ramirez Thomas, Ortiz, Capital High *Oath Taken: 03/04/03. Term Expires: 2007. pepito2k@msn.com
Mary Ellen Gonzales, Secretary District 1 - Chaparral, EJ Martinez, Kaune, Pinon, Capshaw, Santa Fe High *Oath Taken: 03/04/03. Term Expires: 2007. maryelle.gonzales@comcast.net
Marcy Litzenberg, Member District 2 - Acequia Madre, Atalaya, El Dorado, Wood Gormley *Oath Taken: 03/04/03. Term Expires: 2007 MLitzenberg@aol.com
Frank Montano, Member District 5 - Larragoite, Kearny, Nava, Turquoise Trail, DeVargas, Salazar, SER/SFPS Career Academy *Oath Taken: 03/01/05. Term Expires: 2009 frankmontano2@netzero.com
When the Santa Fe School Board adopted the 2006-07 calendar in January, they directed the business office to work with NEA-SF to find a way to minimize the financial impact to employees.
NEA-Santa Fe conducted a survey to find out what solutions might work for employees who would be financially affected by the 06-07 school calendar. Over 200 employees from 21 sites responded, with the most popular response being to receive paychecks twice each month instead of every two weeks. NEA-SF met with business office representatives, including John Wolfe, last week.
The business office nixed that option. Technically, that change would be very difficult for them to implement and given our experience with the AS400, that isn’t hard to believe. We asked if the summer paychecks could be paid sooner. Even that option was frowned upon, but they said they would consider that, but made no promises.
Now we have to wonder how much of the business office’s reluctance is due to their own disinterest in finding a solution instead of lack of technical capability. John Wolfe’s remarks to Capital High School staff on Thursday to take your complaints to NEA is completely inappropriate. We already took a reasonable -–and popular–- solution to them and were turned down.
The Business Office had no solution except to withhold the third March paycheck until August, which creates a four week pay gap in March instead of August. The mandate from the school board to find a solution went to the business office staff, and when faced with a complaint about their “can’t do solution,” their response was to shift the responsibility to NEA, which has no authority to implement any solution.
NEA-SF recommends that you attend the school board meeting Tuesday, Feb. 21, to let the board members know that you expect more effort from the Business Office to find real, working solutions for us. The Board Meeting starts at 430 p.m. at Kaune Elementary School. You can show your support during the NEA report during the first part of the meeting, and also address the board at the public forum later in the meeting.
If you are unable to attend the meeting, write a call or email your school board members.
Martin Lujan, President District 3 - Alvord, Carlos Gilbert, Gonzales, Tesuque, BECC *Oath Taken: 3/1/05. Term Expires: 2009 mglujan1@yahoo.com
Carmichael Dominguez,Vice President District 4 - Agua Fria, Cesar Chavez,Sweeney, Ramirez Thomas, Ortiz, Capital High *Oath Taken: 03/04/03. Term Expires: 2007. pepito2k@msn.com
Mary Ellen Gonzales, Secretary District 1 - Chaparral, EJ Martinez, Kaune, Pinon, Capshaw, Santa Fe High *Oath Taken: 03/04/03. Term Expires: 2007. maryelle.gonzales@comcast.net
Marcy Litzenberg, Member District 2 - Acequia Madre, Atalaya, El Dorado, Wood Gormley *Oath Taken: 03/04/03. Term Expires: 2007 MLitzenberg@aol.com
Frank Montano, Member District 5 - Larragoite, Kearny, Nava, Turquoise Trail, DeVargas, Salazar, SER/SFPS Career Academy *Oath Taken: 03/01/05. Term Expires: 2009 frankmontano2@netzero.com
posted by Editor | 9:05 AM
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