Catherwood LibraryILR School

Various hourly workers in the Olathe school district, a school district located in the Kansas City area, expressed intentions to organize at a recent school board meeting. Over seventy workers showed up to the meeting, and the group of workers are hourly employees who work custodial and paraprofessional duties. The employees are certified so that they are not able to join the teacher’s union, and therefore will begin union organizing efforts. Workers state that wages have not kept up with the increases in costs of living, and they are seeking pay raises and additional employee benefits. Employees state that they are struggling to afford goods and services for their families due to stagnant wages, and many workers have to have second or third jobs for additional income. Workers are seeking representation from the Communications Workers of America union, and the union represents hourly workers in other school districts in Lawrence, Kansas. Hourly employees working in schools in Wichita, Kansas have also successfully unionized.