DC School Workers Target Mayor in Pressure Campaign

DC School Workers Target Mayor in Pressure Campaign

Teamsters Want Williams to Send Back Pay Award to Council

December 14, 2001

(Washington, DC) – City school system employees will gather on Saturday to plan a public pressure campaign to urge the mayor to send their back pay award to the City Council for funding. District school food service workers, full-time bus drivers, custodians, repair workers and engineers recently won a $8 million plus back pay raise ruling against the school system.

An arbitrator ruled that school system employees, represented by Teamsters Locals 639 and 730, should have received the same pay raises as other city workers. School Superintendent Paul Vance and the school board have supported paying the overdue raises.

"The ball is in the Mayor's court," said John Catlett, President of Teamsters Local 639. "These men and women have worked hard to keep this school system running. It's only fair that they get their money."

The workers will spend Saturday undergoing lobbying and community outreach training as part of a campaign to get the Mayor to send the award to the Council. Workers have been calling the Mayor's office urging him to take immediate action on the back pay award.