As an employee of the district, Essek spoke about the contract situation between the district and the Salaried Support Staff Association of New York State United Teachers. Early in the meeting, seven members of the union sat behind Essek in support of his presence at the meeting. By the time he spoke, after sitting through more than an hour of Board of Education business, five members remained behind him, donning matching blue shirts.

Essek spoke on behalf of the entire union stating, “It is our intention tonight to (make) this statement, not only to the Board of Education, but as a means of informing the voters and taxpayers in this district of where our union stands regarding our request for reopening negotiations (or a memorandum of agreement) to bring our pay to a livable wage prior to the budget vote.”

Referencing the desire of the district to hire a Director of Technology, Essek said, “Members of our union are here to state that we feel this expense is a further slap in the face to those members of the support staff whom the district refused to reopen negotiations with — and who many, still to this day, are making no more than a dollar and change above minimum wage after numerous years of service to this district.”

Essek added his name to a growing list of guests to speak up on behalf of the Salaried Support Staff Association and its desire to re-open negotiations with the district on a new contract. Throughout the school year, multiple members of the union have spoken to the desire for a new contract.

Doug Essek, the Fredonia Mayor, spoke as an employee of the district as members of the Salaried Support Staff Association attended the recent Board of Education meeting in a show of solidarity in their contractual requests. OBSERVER Photo by Braden Carmen.

“In recent weeks, the support staff has had two maintenance workers leave for jobs that offer dollars more in pay per hour, as well as two of our cleaning staff that have announced their retirement at the end of the school year, and we also had one cleaner at Wheelock leave,” Essek said. “Without an increase to a living wage, it will be impossible for the district to be competitive in hiring replacements for these folks.”

Fredonia Superintendent Brad Zilliox responded to Essek, “We recognize there is a degree of tension and unhappiness to where things stand, and that’s not preferred.”

Zilliox also referenced a meeting the district held on the matter. “We talked a little about what we might be able to do to potentially offer some relief,” Zilliox said.

The regularly scheduled contract negotiations for the last Salaried Support Staff Association contract were held in the spring of 2021. Zilliox explained the district’s hesitance to renegotiate the Salaried Support Staff Association contract because of the message it would send to other unions the district has not renegotiated with, along with setting “a precedent” to reopening contract negotiations.

“We felt like it was difficult to say no to one association and yes to another,” Zilliox said.

Zilliox continued, “We also believe that reopening negotiations midway through an agreement weakened the idea of commitment to a period of time that is inherent in a contract negotiation. … We recognize that is true on our end too. If we negotiate a contract with an association, we’re committed to that time period.”

After Essek’s speech concluded, which also included the reading of a letter of another member who was unable to attend the meeting, the remaining members of the audience departed more than 90 minutes after they arrived. Essek remained as the lone non-student member of the public besides the OBSERVER.

“Thank you, Mayor Essek. We can also acknowledge you’re the mayor,” Board of Education member Sheila Hahn said. “Thank you for speaking to us and bringing those concerns to us.”