District staff members filled recent Board of Trustees meetings in protest of what they say is the slow and unwilling pace of negotiations with the district in regard to wage and salary issues.

The contract between the district and the staff unions has not expired, but certain clauses relating to wages and salary steps have opened up for renegotiations.

Service Employees Intern-ational Union Local 715 represents the white collar clerical and office staff in the District and is part of the AFL-CIO. SEIU also organizes health-care workers, janitors, and social workers in addition to education workers.

California State Employees Association represents the blue-collar custodial, maintenance and grounds keeping workers in the district. CSEA is the largest independent union of public employees in California.

On March 3 close to 50 staff, along with student, DASB, and faculty supporters, attended a district board meeting. Staff members spoke on their dissatisfaction with the contract negotiations and what they say is the District’s reluctance to meet their demands and settle the contract.

Representing the opinion of the Board of Trustees, a statement was read at the opening of the meeting. The District defined its goal as being, “committed to providing total compensation that is equitable and competitive.”

A number of staff signed a collective letter that was also read at the meeting criticizing the board for not offering salary increases equal to the recent raises granted to faculty and not adding a number of extra steps in pay.

Staff members reminded the board of the high costs of living in the Silicon Valley area. According to the letter, staff feel that the District’s “divisive push toward unequal salary increases is already causing problems in the area of morale, productivity, trust and goodwill.”

At the board meeting the district also alleged that SEIU representatives did not attend the most recent closed session negotiations but union representatives maintained at the board and at workplace meetings that they did attend all scheduled negotiations.

SEIU staff have met at several work-site meetings in Conference Rooms A and B to discus the wage negotiations and upcoming strategies. The district has said that they have not reached a final offer yet and staff say they will continue to pressure for settlement with the district.