By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
The Hays school board voted Monday night to discontinue negotiations with its custodians union.
The board voted to opt out of the Public Employer-Employee Relations Act, which means it will not longer bargain with Service Employees International Union, which is also known as SEIU.
The issue came to the forefront after negotiations last year. Both the teacher and custodian unions opposed a change in insurance providers. Both organizations told the board in a letter the district could be subject to legal action if it voted to change from the state insurance program, which is administered by Blue Cross Blue Shield, to one administered by Aetna.
See related story: Unions threaten to sue district over health insurance
At that time board members asked to put further discussion of participation in PEERA on the agenda for some time in early 2018. In unrelated moves, both the City of Hays and Ellis County opted out of PEERA in late 2017. The school board tabled a motion to opt of PEERA in February.
See related story: Hays school board delays vote on PEERA
Superintendent John Thissen said he supported the opt of PEERA.
“I don’t see a need for SEIU,” he told the board Monday night.
Two board members, Paul Adams and Sophia Rose Young, questioned the equity of continuing to negotiate with the custodians, yet other hourly employees, such as administrative assistants do not have a bargaining unit. During the February meeting, it was noted about 26 employees are covered by SEIU out of 200 classified employees.
Board member Mike Walker disagreed with that logic.
“Although I agree with your concern,” Walker said of Adams’ comment, ” but I would argue taking away someone’s representation is not the way to go on that. I think we should have more representation.”
Board member Luke Oborny related back to last year’s negotiations when SEIU and the Hays NEA pushed for a $500 payment to offset expenses incurred because of the insurance change. The board ultimately extended that payment to all staff.
“In a perfect world, I completely agree with John [Thissen]. I would like it to be where it was not a necessity, but board members change, administration changes. There is just too much uncertainty and too many changes. Had SEIU not existed, everything would have been different.
“That supports the people. The people are more important. We are here discussing everything tonight—our buildings, our technology, our buses—but at the end of the day, our people, no matter what task they are given, it is our people that makes our district great.”
The vote on the opt out was split, 4-3, with Lance Bickle, Mike Walker and Luke Oborny voting to stay in PEERA.
Esau Freeman, SEIU representative, said after the meeting he was disappointed in the board decision.
“I really wish they had decided to stay under PEERA,” he said. “A few months ago from the testimonies, it sounded like they all planned on it. I think the main person who did not want this was John Thissen.”
Freeman was critical of Thissen’s work during the most recent negotiations process as well.
Thissen had no comment about Freeman’s response to the vote.
The district will still have to negotiate with SEIU for the 2018-19 budget year. Negotiations with the teachers union, Hays NEA, will not be affected by the decision to opt out of PEERA.