LEE COUNTY, Fla. — The Support Personnel Association of Lee County, SPALC, met at Lee County School District headquarters. Their bargaining meeting did not produce a decision on what wages should be for it's workers.
The negotiations specifically impact people who work in the schools in support personnel roles. This includes jobs like custodians and cafeteria workers.
These people pictured work for Lee County Schools. Many of them say they sell blood plasma and find other side jobs to make ends meet.
Patrice Coats works for Lee County Schools.
"It’s hard just to see and hear some of the stories of my fellow coworkers, sleeping in their cars, having to move back home... It’s heart wrenching," she said.
Judy Headlee is a bookkeeper for an elementary school.
"My base pay for a paycheck... I make like $1200 and I bring home $943," she said.
The lowest wage for these workers is about $16 an hour and the highest, about $30 an hour.
SPALC's ask of the school district is to use a budget of $10.3 million to give support personnel workers a raise and back pay them to July 1. This bargaining has been ongoing since April.
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The district did not agree to that amount. According to Arlease Williams, SPALC's president, the district countered with a $7.2 million budget.
Karen Dimock is another Lee County worker.
"I have a second job as most of us do. I also went for a year and a half just on my salary until I was eligible for social security check, and it was very, very difficult," Dimock said.
Lee County Schools said in the meeting, it's not fair to others in the district to ask the school board for more bargaining funds.
No settlement was reached yet. This conversation has been ongoing since April.
"We have not seen an increase in our pay that can keep up with the inflation, and it’s really not fair," Headlee said.
