Greetings ASASP Members,
Your union leadership is at work every day on your behalf. We are standing with you and for you in everything we do. In the good times as well as the bad times, we have your best interests at heart.
Many of you were pleased to see the increase that you will receive beginning July 1, 2024 based on your years of service. However, many of your colleagues were not so pleased.
Unit 3 and Unit 2 employees at the Top of the Pay Scale probably feel the most disrespected.
Last week when the Chief of Human Resources, Dr. Kristi Murphy-Baldwin, sent out the memo addressing the upcoming 2025 pay scale, the union office telephones began to ring "off the hook!"
Members with the most seniority at the top of the scale were officially informed or reminded that they were not entitled to a step increase this year, but rather they would only receive a 4% COLA beginning July 1, 2024. Unfortunately, this is true, as that deal was negotiated under the previous ASASP leadership, but this union leadership has no intention of accepting that without a fight.
It seems as though the more time, effort, energy and dedication employees invest in PGCPS the more they get "No Respect."
I get it after 23, 27, 30 years of service members at the top may have reached the ceiling and realize there are no more steps to climb. How fair is that? What kind of message does that send to those with the seniority? Is PGCPS really trying to send a message that historical knowledge, dedication and service are not worthy of recognition or compensation? Does PGCPS not realize how invaluable the senior members truly are in this "Post Pandemic Era," where people don't seem to want to work anymore?
The number of vacancies this school district has carried for years and is currently facing, would increase significantly if these folks were to leave today. There are currently 184 Unit 3 members at the top and 147 Unit 2 members at the top, which means 331 of our members were not provided a step to increase. I can assure you, that the leadership of your union are fighting tooth and nail on behalf of all members. So please, don't believe the hype and rumors from the nasayers and haters spewing their stuff.
Please encourage your peers to read the ASASP Times and stay abreast of all the union leadership is doing on behalf of members especially this summer. Currently about 70% (740) of the membership consistently actually open this newsletter email, which means approximately %30 (310) never even open it. I wonder if those are the people that always say, "what is the union doing?"
