Organizing workers bring sea of green to Ringgold school board meeting
Paraprofessionals and Administrative Assistants in Ringgold School District are demanding their union with AFSCME be recognized by the school board.
Heather Ooten is a Paraprofessional in the district and led a “sea of green” consisting of 20 of her fellow workers in AFSCME T-shirts to address the board on Wednesday, March 19, declaring:
“The teachers in this district have a union and a contract. The custodians and maintenance workers have a union and a contract. The food service workers have a union and a contract. And we want you to know that it’s high time that Paraprofessionals and Administrative Assistants also got a strong union, giving us a voice at work and a seat at the bargaining table to negotiate our contract too!”
The workers gave the school board until April 10, which is the day after the next school board meeting, to formally recognize their union or they will file a petition for representation with the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board. The school board did not immediately recognize the union or add it to the agenda for the next meeting, but the workers stand unified and are hopeful their wishes will be respected.
The Paraprofessionals provide vital educational support services for students with special needs in the district, working with classrooms full of students, as well as one-on-one services.
“Many of us are also parents of students who currently attend or have graduated from this district. We are invested in the success of this district and its students in every way possible,” Heather said.
“We love our jobs. We love our community. And we especially love the students who we serve and support every day.”
Tabitha Ike, a Paraprofessional at Ringgold Middle School who has two children in the district, echoed Heather’s sentiments of loving the work they do and simply wanting a voice on the job.
“I love my job. Every single one of these people love their job, and we are willing to do anything and everything for the students we work with. It would just be nice if we could receive what others receive and just be able to be paid like a human being,” Tabitha said.
Administrative Assistants are the schools’ secretaries who work “behind the scenes” to keep offices running, plan field trips and activities, and answer phone calls from parents.
Alyse Atkins is a former Paraprofessional and now works as an Administrative Assistant for the district.
“I think that it’s always a good idea to have a union so you have a voice and a clear contract and a clear set of rules as a group. I always feel that we’re stronger together. It’s a way to make everything equal and unified across the board,” Alyse said.
“To see everybody come together and say ‘this is what we want and it’s about time we get it,’ and to see the sea of green that we had there, I thought it was just amazing. I’m really proud of everybody who came together to do that and their efforts, especially Heather’s efforts and her taking main stage to do this for us.”
The strong support from the community, fellow labor groups, and the teachers and staff throughout the district, is greatly appreciated, and the workers look forward to continued engagement with the school board as they build their union.
See more photos below!
Watch the March 19 school board meeting with Heather’s remarks here
