WEST BABYLON — West Babylon School District Paraprofessional Unit members are responsible for providing the district’s children important tools they need for a successful future.
Despite their hard work, the West Babylon School District Board of Education is refusing to settle with them over key points in the unit’s contract, including seniority and minor salary increases.
The district wants to remove language from the contract that allows seniority to be used when a member applies for an open position.
Barbara Dinardo and Dee Palazzo speak about union issues after the West Babylon School Board meeting.
“The only reason that some of us took our jobs is because we wanted to be internal employees so we would be given primary consideration for higher paying jobs in the future,” said Donna Dimuro.
Unit members are adamant that the school board is refusing to compromise on this issue because of nepotism, which our members say has been a problem in the past.
“They want to hire who they want, when they want,” said Dimuro.
Unit members also believe that there is no need for the district to hire from outside their unit. Titles covered include aides and monitors, essential jobs that help children receive a quality education.
“The reason we were hired is because we already have the desired qualifications and we are able to work with children, in a variety of capacities, throughout the district,” said Dee Palazzo. “We have members that have been working with children for 20 years; how are they less qualified than someone coming in from off of the street?”
While district officials are arguing that they are thinking of the needs of the children, our members maintain that the unit has made concessions that will keep the children from being affected by staffing changes.
“The district is claiming that there will be a domino effect if they promote from within causing the children to be without vital services,” said Palazzo. “That isn’t true because unit members have agreed to postpone moving into any new position they are hired for until their former job has been filled.”
Despite generally opposing hires outside the bargaining unit, our members have also agreed to give the district the freedom to hire outside of the unit, for up to three times in a school year, for any student that requires “special needs” and has enrolled in school after the school year has begun.
“Our unit members want to be respected for the qualifications that they have, the additional skills that they have developed and for all the years that they have worked for the West Babylon School District,” said Palazzo. “We’re talking about a small raise and keeping contract language. That isn’t asking for a lot.”
— Wendi Bowie
