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Westhampton Beach Middle School Main Office Senior Office Assistant Lisa Monti at Monday night's board of education meeting. DESIRÉE KEEGAN
Westhampton Beach's board of education listens to public comments October 7. DESIRÉE KEEGAN
After four unsuccessful contract negotiation meetings, Westhampton Beach Middle School senior office assistant Lisa Monti addressed the Board of Education on Monday night to plead with members to urge district officials to recognize the value of those in her department.
The decision to speak to the board comes after four positions were lost — a middle school senior office assistant, technology department office assistant, laptop office assistant and switchboard operator — leaving those who remain, she said, to take on more with less.
“All of these positions the district feels are no longer necessary, and the last few months we have had our clerical unit members cover other departments to keep the district running smoothly due to the loss of positions,” Monti said, reading from a statement on behalf of the clerical unit’s 21 members.
“We are here today in hopes that this Board of Education can see our tremendous value and hard work, keeping our district running from behind the scenes. We are hoping we can get together and come up with a plan to keep the district functioning properly while taking care of our members.”
She claims that on numerous occasions, middle school office personnel and business office staff members have had to cover athletics and buildings and ground duties, too, and that the main office has had a low number of support staff for months. Part of this increased workload, Monti said, is also due to the district’s struggle to hire as a result of low starting salaries.
“Due to the starting salary being so low, there were no applicants interested in the position,” she said. “As a result, we have voluntarily stepped up and taken on extra duties to continue the forward progress this district relies upon. We are constantly doing more with less — filling gaps and covering positions — with zero rewards.”
Monti said that the clerical staff’s contract expired June 30, and that negotiations have stalled.
“We want the board to recognize that we know our worth is more than the low percent that has been offered,” she said. “Asking us to absorb the tremendous increases in health care costs — while this unit already pays the highest in the district — and not offering an increase in salary is unsettling.
“We have been willing to work with the district to look for new avenues to lower the costs of health care. Inflation is at an all-time high, and living expenses are at a peak. And it is tough enough to make ends meet. We may not have master’s degrees, but we do have many years of experience and knowledge and we deserve fair and competitive compensation.”
Senior business account clerk Maureen McKay said on Tuesday that Monti’s statement echoed the sentiments of everyone in their unit.
“We do a lot for the district, the community and our students and staff, and we are just having a difficult time securing a fair contract at this time,” she said. “The items Lisa mentioned are just a small part of what we do at Westhampton Beach, and we just want the board to know what we do, how we contribute to the district and that we want to settle our contract with fair wages for all.”
Monti said clerical members order supplies, manage attendance, assist in state and federal grants, pay the bills, pay the employees and pay the taxes. She said staff members also organize sporting events and busing, assist students in the college application process and organize open houses, SAT and ACT testing, driver’s education registration and all graduations.
“That’s only a small number of items we handle daily to make sure the district runs smoothly for the community, the students and the staff we serve,” Monti said. “Our unit is the backbone of every building in our district. We tend to the issues of our students, staff and parents on a daily basis.”
Superintendent of Schools Dr. Carolyn Probst said while the district cannot comment on collective bargaining, with regard to the statements made about the work and dedication of the clerical unit, the district is in complete agreement.
“The district looks forward to continued and productive negotiation of this contract,” she said Tuesday.
“These are challenging times, and we get that, but we just wanted them to see us, hear us and try to have positive conversations to reach an agreement,” McKay said. “We have been doing more with less staff for quite some time now, and we have stepped up to maintain the level of service to all.
“The service we provide is what makes Westhampton Beach such a great place. It takes a village, and we are part of that.”
