VBEST union asks Van Buren school board for respect, higher pay

A sea of red lapped around the Van Buren Public School Board of Education at Monday’s regular meeting, as members of the Van Buren Educational Support Team (VBEST) asked for respect and higher pay.
More than 40 VBEST members turned out wearing whatever red shirts they could to show the school board who they were and that they were together.
In late February, Human Resources Director John Leroy told the board that he was about to begin negotiations with VBEST.
On Monday after waiting one hour and 14 minutes for the proper Public Comment part of the agenda, April Turnbull spoke on behalf of VBEST. First, she detailed all the jobs the members do on behalf of the children. She said she has been a paraprofessional for 10 years, now at the Early Childhood Center. She spoke of what paraprofessionals do and what bus drivers, custodians and others do to make sure everything is clean.
She said members also get hit, kicked, and spit on by the students who they are teaching to express themselves in better ways.
Turnbull said she got an email last week that there had been a solid offer on a wage raise, but it has been taken away to force the union to “give up its rights of collective bargaining.”
“It’s not just about wages,” she told the board. “It’s respect … to pay what we deserve.
“Some of our administrators got raises at the last board meeting,” she continued. “What did they have to give up?
“… We ask you … to respect the work we do every single day,” she said in conclusion and the audience erupted in lengthy applause.
Another VBEST member came to the microphone to note that when discussing the budget, it was noted that all the students get free breakfast and lunch, but there are no free meals for the preschool students, like there are for everyone else.
There was no response from the board and the meeting continued.
A few minutes later, when Director Leroy was giving his brief report to the board, saying the district is able to hire employees from other districts because of Van Buren’s financial stability, the BVEST members walked out of the room together as he continued to speak.
His report did not contain anything on the negotiations.
After the meeting, Leroy said what Turnbull reported was “100% false” and there was no such discussion on getting rid of collective bargaining rights.