It seems as though the issue in the Jay School Department is always the same. How will the dedicated employees of the Jay School Department be treated? This time, as educational technicians, we are struggling with our paychecks and our loyalty to the system. Yet we continue to give 110 percent for children.

We dutifully followed the rules and used the process to move toward a contract settlement. That process led us to an independent fact-finding panel. The recommendations from the panel suggested a compromise on wages and insurance. In spite of the fact that almost 90 percent of us (educational technicians) took a reduction in wages when we were declassified to a lower authorization level, we were willing to compromise one more time.

In spite of the fact that the majority of us took a reduction in the number of hours we work each day, we were willing to compromise one more time. The school committee’s response through their hired attorney was to ask for even more concessions. Still we, the educational technicians, continue to give 110 percent to Jay’s children.

I think we deserve to be treated better.

Sharon LaBrecque, Jay