No equity for school secretaries

In response to the Aug. 24 article about Spokane schools budget growing 7.2 percent, with the majority of money earmarked for teachers:

I was disheartened to see the board approved salary schedules despite the pay equity disparity between two bargaining groups - Secretarial/Clerical vs. the male-dominated Custodial unit.

Comparison of qualifications and responsibilities shows this blatant disparity; read classified open positions at the SPS employment site to compare responsibilities and qualifications. The custodian’s focus of responsibility is cleaning.

When arriving at a school, you are vetted for entry by a secretary who’s responsible to keep the building, staff and students safe by a new check-in procedure. The secretary is your first point of contact for concerns, appointments or information regarding school and district policies and procedures. The job requires an aptitude to utilize myriad software programs depending on the assignment. Secretaries document and administer medications and maintain action plans for life threatening allergies. They serve students, parents, community members, staff and administrators and are often left in charge when administrators attend meetings.

These are just a few responsibilities in a challenging atmosphere. Time is overdue to honor secretaries with equal pay for more than equal work.

Sharon Condrey

Cheney