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Overcast Hewlett-Woodmere teachers rally on Election Day
The line of marchers along Broadway in Hewlett on Nov. 8 was not celebrating Homecoming. The procession comprised Hewlett-Woodmere public school teachers seeking a new union contract to replace the five-year agreement that expired in June.
“We feel it’s disrespectful to us when we aren’t treated fairly,” said Hewlett High School math teacher Stephen Krieger.
Led by Hewlett-Woodmere Faculty Association President Ric Stark, the teachers organized the Election Day march as a way to showcase their desire for a fair contract. It began outside the high school, on East Rockaway Road in Hewlett, proceeded along Broadway and ended by at the back of Hewlett High on Cedar Avenue. And despite the fact that only the teachers were walking, Stark noted that they weren’t the only district employees seeking a new union contract. “It’s not just us,” he said.
District secretaries, sanitation workers and information technology professionals are also bargaining for new agreements.
John Kranz, a teacher in the Hewlett district for 16 years, expressed his frustration with the Board of Education that a deal had not been finalized. Along with the march, HWFA members were optimistic that their attendance at board meetings would have a positive impact on negotiations.
“Everyone goes, ‘Oh, we did such a good job through the pandemic and the difficulties we had to deal with,’ but when it comes to negotiating for a contract, there’s a little bit of a hold-up,” Kranz said. “Which confuses us.”
Krieger said that he values the education his students expect to receive. “I come early and I stay late,” he said. “We put our heart and soul into what we do, and I feel we aren’t recognized for that.”
Hewlett-Woodmere is one of two public school district in the Five Towns, along with Lawrence. “People value their public schools, and they want to make sure that our public schools continue to be what they’ve always been,” Stark said, “which is a good place to send their kids.”
Teachers in the Lawrence School District have been working without a new contract for 12 years, currently the longest time period in the state. Lawrence Teachers Association President Rachel Kreiss noted that her members have held similar demonstrations to push their district for a new contract.
“In the past, we’ve walked with our signs at members of the Board of Education’s homes, at our schools, and some of them have businesses in the community,” she said.
The contract impasse has prevented teachers from getting salary increases, but Kreiss’s drive to teach, she said, has not diminished. “I love what I do,” she said. “I love being a teacher. We need to feel valued. It’s hard to come to school every day and feel what we do is not valued and appreciated.”
As the hundreds of Hewlett-Woodmere teachers, wearing black New York State United teachers T-shirts, walked along Broadway, motorists honked to show their support. “It’s great, and wonderful to see,” Kranz said. “The community has always been fantastic here, with tremendous support. They’re pro-education. That’s what it’s all about. We’re here for the kids. That’s the bottom line.”
All of the bargaining units in the Hewlett-Woodmere district were represented at the Nov. 16 Board of Education meeting, and during last week’s walk, Stark wanted to make sure his non-teaching colleagues were not forgotten. “The secretaries are without a contract,” he said. “The custodians and the IT professionals are without a contract. We think they deserve fair contracts, just as much as or more than we do.”
