I’m sorry I wasted so many years of my life working in a private school where it was each man for himself.
I worked for eight years as a speech and language pathologist in a private school in Westchester County that made up the rules as it went along.
There was no stable salary schedule. You had to request a raise and unless you were a favorite you got turned down.
We had no pension and were paying for health benefits with minimal coverage and exorbitant co-payments.
I was reminded that I was an at-will employee — I was on my own. Turnover of staff was high, and colleagues were fired all the time. Some even had to hire lawyers to refute baseless charges that might have prevented them from getting future employment.
And there was no grievance procedure or process through which we could protest unfair treatment or challenge false charges.
We were often expected to work during our lunch hour, and the heavy burden of paperwork had to be done on our own time.
The administration one day announced to us that the 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. school day was being extended until 4 p.m. and staff was expected to work that extra hour for no extra pay. It was the only time I saw any sense of solidarity among my colleagues. Staff stood together and refused to work the longer day, and the administration backed off.
Now I’m happy. I work in a professional environment where I am respected, supported and protected by a union, and I have a contract that guarantees me stable working conditions.
Susan Gunderson is a speech and language pathologist at Morris Academy of Collaborative Studies HS in the Bronx.
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