ABC School Board Fails to Recognize Employees Who Worked Through Pandemic


AFSCME essential workers at ABC Unified School District are seven times more likely to be exposed to the coronavirus, and are asking to be treated equitably.


Food service and maintenance workers at the ABC School District are getting unfair treatment by the District office, despite being the only class of employees to have worked through the entire pandemic.

ABC School District is covered by three unions: the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), the California School Employee Association (CSEA), and the teacher’s union. At ABC, the CSEA covers secretaries and office workers, and AFSCME Local 2229 covers maintenance and food service workers. The latter have worked throughout the pandemic, and were often exposed to the virus through interactions with the public - by interacting with parents and other employees. While teachers and office workers were able to work remotely or come to the office and do other work to supplement their regular duties, AFSCME employees were exposed to the virus the entire time and due to the nature of their jobs, were not able to work from home.

District Treats Essential Workers Differently

One example of unfair treatment is the proposed bonuses for each class of employee. Teachers and office workers are scheduled to get bonuses for their work, but the food service and maintenance workers are getting far less. Teachers are set to receive $400 a week for 10 weeks, or $4,000. CSEA employees are getting less, but are currently negotiating for more.


Judie Dixon, the Lead Manager for Food Services at Cerritos High School, and a member of Local 2229’s Executive Board, said, “Initially, the maintenance and food service workers were going to get nothing, but after advertising our situation, the District offered us $300.”

Joan Heithoff, the Business Representative for the AFSCME employees, “We are happy that the teachers have received a $400 a week bonus. All we ask is that our employees receive similar recognition.”

Does the Board Even Know Their Own Employees?

Part of the problem seems to be that ABC School District’s Board of Directors does not know who or what they’re voting on. According to Heithoff, “Their (the ABC Board) position is they vote on what is brought to them. The Board seems to think it has no responsibility to ensure all employees are treated equitably and that AFSCME, having had to risk exposure unlike other unions, should not be compensated with ‘heroes pay’ like other essential workers. Further, like teachers, AFSCME members have had extra work to perform.”



Dixon wrote a letter to the District Board, pointing out the discrepancy in the pay. ABC School District Boardmember Brad Beach responded to her, and it was telling. “Thank you Ms. Dixon for your comments. The union contracts before us last week were negotiated by your union and the district’s staff. I respect all of our employees and is why I voted yes on all of the proposals. The teacher’s extra pay was based on working additional hours and a much more difficult simultaneous hybrid model. I appreciate all that you do for our district very much.”

From the Board’s perspective, it seems that teachers were doing extra work.

“Our intention is not to criticize the teachers. Anyone with children going to school knows that 2020 was a difficult year for the teaching profession,” said Heithoff. “AFSCME’s position is yes, it was difficult for teachers; but the District’s perspective is incorrect. Teachers didn’t work any more than other employees. However, the AFSCME employees worked just as hard and as many hours, but we also were on the front lines and exposed to the virus.”

According to the Local 2229, AFSCME members have been seven times more likely to face the need to quarantine due to potential exposure than the teachers in the District.


“We are seeking equitable treatment,” said Dixon. “We’re asking the District for a hazard pay bonus of $1000, which is less than $100 a month. This bonus would be less than a quarter of one percent of the District’s budget.”

As of April 6, the District has only offered a $300 bonus to AFSCME.

“Think about this,” said Dixon. “The school board members will not conduct their meetings in the same room out of concern over exposure to the virus, but AFSCME members must come to work every day.”

Local 2229 is asking all concerned residents to contact the school board and ask them to treat AFSCME members equitably. To show support for these employees, they are asking the public to wear red on April 15 and April 16. Take a picture and tag “Afscme Union Local 2229” on Facebook to show your support.




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