Tulsa School Superintendent Says District Made Fair Offer To Support Staff

By Ashli Sims, The News On 6

TULSA, OK -- A union has accused Tulsa Public Schools of refusing a 28 cent raise for some of its lowest paid employees.

Now, the superintendent is firing back, claiming the union's plan is actually a raw deal for hundreds of workers.

The support workers union says the district is pinching pennies at employee's expense and the superintendent says a two percent raise for all support workers is fairer.

"It's unfortunate that this had to become a public issue," said Dr. Keith Ballard, TPS Superintendent.

On New Year's Eve the support workers union, armed with pennies, took their plea for 28 cent an hour raises directly to the Tulsa school board member's front doors.

The union says it's a small sum that was previously agreed to and Tulsa Public Schools is now trying to take back.

12/31/2009 Related Story: TPS Support Staff Hoping For Hourly Wage

"Well, we have a signed tentative agreement. We're asking for him to show us his integrity on upholding our contract," said Kelly Simon, AFT Local 6049.

Ballard tells a different story, "Here are the facts. There are allegations made that there was a tentative agreement made. That is not true. There was never a tentative agreement."

Tulsa Public Schools superintendent Dr. Keith Ballard says a handwritten note is what Kelly Simon is calling a tentative agreement.

He says it really was the district's offer and the union's counter-offer.

"We left the table last time fully anticipating we would come back and talk about this," Ballard said.

Dr. Ballard says TPS offered the support union workers a 2% raise across the board that will cost the district about one million dollars and that the union's counter offer of 28 cents an hour will cost the district $200,000 to $300,000 more and 240 support workers would actually make less under the union's plan.

"We want to resolve this; we do. We have, and by we, I mean me and the board, we have great respect for support personnel," Ballard said.

Kelly Simon, the support workers union's representative, says she doesn't want to comment until she's reviewed this packet of information the district released Tuesday.