Letter to the Editor: Inglewood Unified’s mistreatment of employees must STOP!

Dear 2UrbanGirls,

Did you know that the Inglewood Unified School District was preparing for massive layoffs of clerical classified workers at the school site levels? Classified workers consist of school employees that do not need certification or a license to be qualified for the job. Certificated employees are required to have a credential from the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing while classified employees are not required to have a teaching credential.

March 19, 2021, classified clerical workers were directed to attend a ZOOM meeting. At the meeting, they were informed that their jobs at the schools would be combined and that they would have to re-apply for the “newly created” positions that they had been doing for years. Additionally, to make matters worse, they informed that the “new” jobs would be opened to those outside the district.

In combing positions, there was no guarantee that they would be rehired, and if they were rehired, they would lose their seniority, lose bumping rights, and begin a six-month probation period like a new hire. The jobs had “new” job titles, but the work was what they were already doing. To add to insult to injury, these employees, some of whom had been doing the jobs for twenty plus years would have to reapply, take a test, and interview for jobs that they were already doing while competing with those applying from outside the district.

Previously, job reductions were based on seniority. For some reason, that was not to be the case.  Seniority and the seniority list were discarded. Was this meant to be a way to by-pass the union? Is this considered union busting? Why were these cuts made at the school level only and not at the district level? There is an appearance of nepotism. Hiring family and friends has been reported to be widespread throughout the district.

During the ZOOM meeting, the Chief Human Resources Officer, who was hosting the meeting, was openly disrespectful to the CalPro Union representative. When he tried to verbalize his concerns, the Chief Human Resources Officer threatened to mute the CalPro representative because it was “her” meeting and not his. Shortly after this meeting, CalPro Union unexpectedly ceased to represent the Inglewood classified workers. Thankfully, the reduction plan was not implemented.

The classified staff, some of whom barely make above minimum wage, were threatened with being cut/reduced/combined, while the following individuals who work at the District Office have been guaranteed the listed salaries:

• Chief Operating Officer $168,096.00 per annum (4/1/2020 – 4/1/2022)
• Chief Academic Officer $168,096 per annum, $350.00 per month mileage stipend plus a $1,000.00 per annum doctoral stipend (10/16/2019 – 6/30/2021)
• Chief Human Resources Officer $168,096.00 per annum, $350.00 per month mileage stipend (10/21/19 – 6/30/2021)
• Chief Business Official $168,096.00 per annum, $350.00 per month mileage stipend 
• County Administrator $250,000.00 per annum plus a car provided at the districts expense (11/08/19 – 11/08/2024)

The listed salaries do not include any paid benefits such as health insurance, life insurance, etc. How can such small District afford salaries comparable to what much larger districts make? No wonder the loan cannot be paid off. Notice, the effective date span to 2024. Is there no oversight from the County Office of Education? Perhaps, positions should be combined at the district administrative level as opposed to at the school sites. It would take five or more classified salaries to add up to the lowest paid on that list.

January 12, 2022, without warning, the staff reduction item appeared on the board agenda while the classified employees were in the process of voting on another union. Was this an attempt to sneak it in before the workers had union representation? At the board meeting, two brave classified workers, who conscientiously review personnel issues on the board agenda, spoke against the agenda item which consequently was pulled that night. Had it not been for those individuals, the item would surely have passed.

Previously, under the guise of merging jobs and reducing the number of workers the district wanted to cut workers. Now, in what appears to be retaliation, the district is rewriting job descriptions to give school level clerical workers more work. Since the original numbers of employees were kept, there should not be more work. Plus, changing job descriptions mid-year seems suspicious.

The classified workers are underpaid and underappreciated. The certificated staff received eight percent raise while classified workers did not get a raise. At some school sites, classified workers convey exposure to COVID and denied their right to quarantine.

Anonymous District Observer