Rendered Void

Consolidating School Districts Can Mean a New Contract and Lost Benefits

By Dave Arnold

In 1981, my neighbor phoned me with a distressing message. He had just heard on the radio that the factory where I worked was shutting down.

It wasn't a total surprise. There'd been rumblings. When reality did strike, I lost my retirement benefits, accumulated sick days, vacation pay, insurance, and seniority. Of course, my paycheck was history.

Consolidation Conundrum

In the end, I fell on my feet and found work as a school custodian in my hometown of Brownstown, Illinois. But now, 27 years later, I feel that same sense of job uncertainty as the Brownstown School District is currently being considered for consolidation with the St. Elmo School District located just 10 miles down the road.

It's not that the two districts are incompatible. We're already partners in many ways. As allies, the districts have a co-op arrangement regarding sports, vocational and other classes. After starting our ESP Association in Brownstown, I did the same in St. Elmo. We all know each other. My wife, Nancy, is a cook at St. Elmo High School, so I feel comfortable in both places.

New Contract Woes

So what's the problem? Contracts! Our contracts are with each school district. When we consolidate, the contracts and local Associations will be rendered void.

Under a new consolidated school district we will be required to vote in a new local Association and renegotiate every aspect of a new contract. We could experience a salary cut and lose the following:

• Accumulated sick days
• Accumulated vacation pay or days
• Health insurance coverage
• Present job position, therefore be reassigned to a different school building
• Bonuses, such as longevity incentive pay
• Seniority, which changes when combined with employees from the other school district

The consolidation reminds me of the 1981 factory shutdown because I stand to lose accumulated benefits totaling approximately $15,000 in cash value. Some veteran employees stand to lose more.

Employee Losses

One of our bus drivers, for example, was my bus driver when I was a student in high school. He now has 44 years of employment and stands to lose considerably more than me.

This doesn't mean we will lose everything. In Illinois, ESPs have the right to bargain. Before last year, ESPs in the state had no guarantee that they would be rehired after a consolidation. My UniServ Director, Marcus Albrecht, and other staff from the Illinois Education Association (IEA) were able to work with state legislators and create a law that guarantees ESPs be reinstated by seniority when two school districts merged.

If we consolidate, negotiating a new contract won't be easy. We will likely lose some benefits. But unlike 1981, my fellow ESPs and I will not lose our jobs. With help from Albrecht, IEA and NEA, we will survive.

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(Dave Arnold, a member of the Illinois Education Association, is a custodian at Brownstown Elementary School in Southern Illinois. He can be contacted at dparnold@csuol.com.)

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NEA or its affiliates.