The Rest of the FWCS-Teamsters Negotiation Story

Friday's JG had a one-sided story describing the current feud between Fort Wayne Community Schools and the Teamsters which represent the bus drivers. Here's a brief recap:

Teamsters Local 414, the union that represents about 220 bus drivers, sued Wendy Robinson in her capacity as FWCS superintendent in Allen Superior Court on Nov. 7.

The bus drivers’ contract expired in December 2005, and negotiations have stalled over switching the health insurance package to one the Teamsters prefer.

Union representatives say their insurance would save the district and the drivers money and offer better coverage, but district officials disagree.

The two sides tentatively agreed to a contract this spring, but Robinson said the drivers changed some of the language afterward and ratified it without conferring with school officials. The Teamsters believe the contract is virtually the same and that Robinson entered into an oral agreement and should honor it by taking the contract to the FWCS board for its approval.

The story doesn't provide enough details to give the reader a real understanding of what the issues are. Therefore, I contacted FWCS board member Jon Olinger for more information and I'll attempt to summarize his statement with my own commentary:

1. The board allows the administration to handle these negotiations because most of the members have no experience in contract negotiation and because it's not the board's job to get involved in the operational management of the district.


2. One of the major sticking points of the contract was that the Teamsters wanted a closed shop which would mean every driver would be forced to be a union member. Let me just say that this is wrong - I believe workers should have the right to collectively bargain as well as the right NOT to collectively bargain.


3. The second issue, which the JG story did cover, is that the Teamsters want to remove their drivers from the FWCS insurance and put them on the Teamsters insurance. There has been debate over whether or not this will provide a cost savings or not


4. Now comes the most important part, in May Superintendent Wendy Robinson made a tentative agreement with the Teamsters that would allow them to move the employees to their own insurance if they dropped the demand for the closed shop. After this agreement Robinson simply changed her mind and tried to say there was no tentative agreement in the first place. However memos from Robinson started appearing that referenced a tentative agreement


5. Despite these issues the Teamsters went forward and voted on the contract and are no longer willing to negotiate because they felt they already had an agreement in place.

I think it's clear that the administration has not bargained in good faith. Unfortunately the board (minus Olinger) has become a rubberstamp for Robinson and her administration and there's no way they would vote to bring the contract before the board until she says so. This entire fiasco sounds like it could've been avoided - much like the facilities petition drive...

FWCS Superintendent Smears Remonstrators as Racist

A recent Journal Gazette article said:

Fort Wayne Community Schools Superintendent Wendy Robinson wonders whether opposition to the district's proposed $500 million building project is really about raising property taxes or balking at providing better schools for inner-city kids.

This is absolutely shameful and Robinson should apologize immediately. I have heard absolutely nothing during this process that would lead one to that conclusion. This is an attempt to smear the remonstrators as racist and it's a disgusting tactic that has no place in our political process. She also said:

"Below the surface, it's, `Those kids don't deserve better buildings'.

Again, this is so pathetic, so baseless, that truthfully it probably doesn't dignify a response. But let me tell you, Dr Robinson, what's below the surface - these kids do deserve better.

Students and teachers deserve more resources that actually help them achieve their educational goals. They deserve more special education programs. They deserve more after-school tutoring and mentoring programs. They deserve leaders who can actually deliver educational results and not empty accusatory rhetoric and new blacktop for the parking lots.

They deserve many things Dr Robinson - but they don't deserve to have their intelligence insulted by suggesting the remonstrators are racist.

Fort Wayne Community Schools Dictator Stomps Out Dissent

Cross-posted at Left of Centrist:

As reported in today's JG, Evert Mol was fired from his volunteer duties and banned from all FWCS buildings. And for what? Because he voiced opposition to the ridiculous and arbitrary $500 Million facilities upgrade. This is the leadership of our local schools folks. Criticize a plan - you're fired. Offer up an alternative - you're fired. Is this the kind of example we want to set for our children? That you should never speak out or participate in the political arena because if you do some local political boss will have you fired? Does this encourage creative thinking and individualism? Of course not, but hardly anything in the educational system does these days.

However, I always felt like local school leaders were trying to do the right thing. That the problem was the system and not the leadership. That changed today. I think we all see the problem now. If you do ANYTHING outside the boundaries then you will be fired. That was the message sent today and the Superintendent knew it. She wanted to send a message to all teachers and staff - you're either with us or your against us. But that's the wrong message to send. We need MORE people involved in local politics and this kind of strong-arm tactic only serves to undermine the public interest.

Of course I've argued all along that the school board doesn't give a damn about the public interest. They are a special interest group and they will only do what's best for them. Tax people out of their homes - so what. Spit on freedom of speech - so what. They really think it's THEIR schools but I have news for them - it's OURS, the citizens and taxpayers in this district. It's time we send our own message. It's time we tell the school board and it's supporters that Putin-like tactics are unacceptable. And it's certainly time to support the remonstrance, not because of the administration's poor behavior but because their plan is fiscally irresponsible...

Update: 3/2/07 16:53 - Looks like Dr Robinson has corrected the "mistake" and allowed Mr Mol back into the building:

This morning we received a call from Dr. Robinson to tell us that the incident was a mistake for which she took full responsibility. So we plan to be back in the schools next week to continue helping with the kids.