School board meets with union to better communication

TONAWANDA - The Tonawanda City School Board recently held a public comment session with the Tonawanda City School District Civil Service Employees Independent Association. The union includes mechanics, engineers, grounds men, custodial employees and clerical workers.

Back in August a complaint was filed against the board due to a lack of communication between the two entities. While the board has maintained that communication is supposed to go through the superintendent, they decided to open up communication by inviting the union to the meeting.

Richard D Furlong, a representative of Lipsitz Green Scime Cambria, came to the meeting on behalf of the union. His main points revolved around the lack of communication and also the increased workloads the union workers have had to take on since layoffs.

“You’ve got people right now who are at the breaking point, they have gratitude that they have a job, but the job itself has become so onerous and there is no discussion going back and forth between the superintendent, board and union on how to solve these problems,” said Furlong.

He said over the last three years communication has been spiraling downwards.

Lynn Casal, board member, said she had no knowledge about these issues until a few months ago.

“We want this to be a good relationship, we are very appreciative of the union workers and we don’t want them to think that we don’t appreciate them,” said Casal.

The board decided to schedule a closed-door meeting to discuss issues with the union in hopes to improve communication and solve the issues the union is facing.

In other board news:

•There was another update on the capital project. While the contractors are putting the finishing touches on Mullen roof, most of the project will begin in the spring. The board is still waiting for state code approval of the project, which should be in around Thanksgiving.

•They are planning to have the new track and field finished by mid-August and the new music wing finished by September or October.

•The buses that go to Riverview have been having behavioral problems since the beginning of the school year. Claudia Panaro, principal at Riverview, said she believes bus monitors would solve the behavior issues.

Mullen elementary has monitors and has not had the issues Riverview is having. The board is looking into the issue and trying to find a way to solve the problem with as little financial burden as possible.