'We're Worth It!'

Living wage crusader Debbie Minnick tells ESPs how to organize for a decent raise.

Photos by Jon Reis

Debbie Minnick, a Title I paraprofessional and the president of Education Support Professionals of Ithaca (New York), was recently honored by the National Committee on Pay Equity for leading a successful "living wage" battle in 2001–02 for 220 underpaid paras. That campaign yielded a three-year contract that raised the starting para wage by 50 percent. Now Minnick, a member of the NEA Board of Directors, regularly travels across the country to talk up living wage strategies with ESP leaders and Association staff. What insight does she share? NEA Today's Dave Winans has a chat.

Just what is a living wage?

MINNICK: It's the minimum hourly wage a person can live on with basic dignity without struggling, without having to go to friends, relatives, the government, or the community for assistance.

Why is the living wage such a hot issue?

MINNICK:  Sometimes people look at paraeducators and other ESPs and say, "Those people are moms who like to work in the schools because they've got kids there and it's a little extra pocket money; it doesn't matter what they make." This is not 1965. Health insurance alone doesn't put the groceries on our tables. We all have different jobs in the education field, and I don't put one on a higher or lower rung than another. I mean, who is it that decided that an administrator makes 12 times more than a food service person?

Are wages the top concern of ESPs?

MINNICK: I think they are, but what goes along with that is the whole issue of dignity and respect, and that's directly related to the salaries that ESPs make.

When you're on the road, what's your key message to support professionals?

MINNICK: Think and bargain differently than the way you usually do. We allow school board negotiators to tell us, "There's not enough money. You're not going to get more than your usual 3 percent." You just have to stop thinking like them. It almost works better if you just get mad about your situation and say: "I'm not taking this anymore. We're doing things differently. I'm worth it; I'm worth a lot more than what I'm getting."

Doesn't this approach involve confrontation?

MINNICK: A living wage campaign involves information you have gathered on how much more money you need to survive with basic human dignity. You can tone it down as much as you want; it doesn't have to be in-your-face bargaining. And this works in both bargaining and non-bargaining states. In one way or another, you're still negotiating, whether it's with administrators or legislators.

How do you get started?

MINNICK: You start this project with a small core group in your NEA local affiliate and start to research a living wage in your area. But remember, you're not going to pull this off with a small dedicated group alone. You need to educate your membership about what this is all about, how you're going to need everybody's help.

Where do you turn for that help?

MINNICK: Make community contacts. Parents are key. Work with community organizations—the religious community is usually a big backer of the living wage in general. And remember, we have brothers and sisters in the labor movement who are willing to help us. Build all those outside partnerships and relationships ahead of time. Then when you need them, you're able to call on them. And keep those relationships alive, because your allies will want to be able to use your backing as well. It's a circle that keeps going!

Aside from a better raise, what's the payoff of a successful living wage campaign?

MINNICK: You become a group of employees that no school district can ignore. You're a force to be reckoned with, you have the community's backing, and your members get really active, involved, and excited in the union—and stay that way.

For more, contact Debbie Minnick at Debbieipa@aol.com. For more on wage strategies and NEA living wage grants to local affiliates, contact Bargaining Specialist Jorge Rivera at Jrivera@nea.org.

—Dave Winans

More ESP stories in this issue:

• Michigan ESPs, teachers working without contracts
• Drivers share tips on managing student behavior
• A glimpse into a typical day for a powerhouse para