Update for Supporting Service Professionals
Dear Supporting Services Professionals,
On March 25th, during the Governor's press conference, State Superintendent of Schools Dr. Karen B. Salmon announced that all public schools in Maryland would be closed for an additional four weeks through April 24, 2020.
Understandably, this announcement has caused a great deal of stress and anxiety. However, leaders of SEIU Local 500 share your concerns and have never stopped advocating on your behalf. In fact, before the announcement, Local 500 leadership was already engaging in impact bargaining meetings with MCPS and will continue to do so, striving to reach an agreement that recognizes the needs and protection of our members, as well as your outstanding contributions during these most unsettling times.
Throughout this ordeal, Local 500 has been advocating for continued pay and benefits for school support professionals, as well as precautionary safety measures, such as building closures, and additional training and equipment to protect the health and well-being of front-line workers. These urgent matters and more have all been at the forefront of a series of on-going discussions and negotiations with MCPS.
While SEIU Local 500 is involved in daily conference calls with MCPS, it is critical that we all understand that decisions regarding the opening and closing of schools are shared by Montgomery County Public Schools and the State of Maryland, particularly the Superintendent of Schools. Also important for many of our members to know at this time is that under our contract with MCPS, 10-month employees will continue to receive pay if schools are closed due to an emergency.
We are also currently working to resolve the following issues:
The schedules of Building Service Workers;
Establishing confirmation of which maintenance employees will not be reporting to work, which will need to report and why, and what work they will be expected to perform;
Why Administrative Secretaries and other 12-month employees in schools are not yet eligible for telework.
In addition to speaking with members directly and making the case for continued pay, benefits, and other emergency measures in the media, Local 500 has been in closed-door meetings with policymakers and elected officials to advocate for your job security and other emergency measures for you.
Please continue to visit the MCPS and Maryland Department of Education websites for important updates on the status of schools in Montgomery county and statewide. You can also get important information on the status of this emergency from the Maryland Department of Health’s new Coronavirus website. For issues related to impact bargaining, ongoing negotiations, and other important updates from your union, check your email, our Facebook page, and our website.
NOTE: If you are engaged in work that requires protective gear and the gear is not available, please do not perform that work and report the lack of protective gear to the supervisor and to your Union right away so we can resolve the matter. We have already notified MCPS that our members who need protective gear will not be performing work that requires this gear without necessary protection.
Please stay safe and remember that we are all in this together.
With appreciation,
Pia Morrison
President of SEIU Local 500