The cold weather has arrived with a high number of snow-day sniffles in the Lake Washington School District. Desks of Lake Washington Education Support Professionals members were largely empty Monday with the vast majority of members calling in sick. The LWESP support staff often go the extra mile to show up for work even when they’re not feeling well, but not Monday. And it’s no surprise, either. The administration seems to remain blind to the contribution those employees make, preferring to instead give themselves raises with annual increases that exceed $20,000 for top administrators, while stonewalling the support staff contract talks.

On Monday, support staff said enough.

The LWESP group is sick and tired of dragging themselves into work when they are not feeling well and/or their family members are ill or injured. Over the years, LWESP members have come to work, even though they have been suffering from allergies, contagious diseases, needing to take care of sick family members, or needing medical appointments for themselves. Office professionals have gone the extra mile for Lake Washington School District; yet, the District does not value their services nor their dedication to their jobs. The members of LWESP have decided it is time to take care of themselves and not come into work sick.

District leaders are returning to work rested and relaxed, we trust, after a weekend retreat on the taxpayer’s dime at a posh resort in Eastern Washington. Top Lake Washington school administrators and School Board members traveled to the scenic Sleeping Lady resort in Leavenworth as they contemplate which employee wages to freeze and what staffing reductions might be made next year.

It’s a double standard to which district leaders seemingly remain blind. Last year, the Lake Washington superintendent was paid more than our governor and our nation’s vice president. Base pay for Superintendent Chip Kimball jumped nearly $10,000 last school year, to more than $190,000. In recent years, the district has added as much as $68,500 a year to the superintendent’s wages in extra pay and “other non-detailed salary.” The deputy superintendent’s base pay jumped $21,420 last school year. Base pay for chief officers jumped $22,225 each, to $144,050, and the district keeps three on the payroll! Those individual raises are more than the total annual salary that the district pays to many of its support staff.

The district has issued a proclamation touting its appreciation for employees, but the words ring hollow. Those same administrators refuse to negotiate fairly to settle a contract with the district’s support staff– members of the Lake Washington Educational Support Professionals. The LWESP has fought to bargain a new contract since February 2009, but has met with continual stonewalling by district administrators. PTA and community members are showing their appreciation in a different way. March 8-12 is Classified Staff Appreciation Week, and they’re contacting the superintendent and school board members to insist that it is time to bargain in good faith.

If the district wants office professionals to go the extra mile in their jobs, then the district needs to settle the contract with LWESP.

Sheila Nokes, Lake Washington Education Support Professionals