ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Some employees who support Orange County Public Schools can’t work from home and have continued to work in-person since schools closed in March, however, until last week if support staff were sick or exposed to COVID-19 they would continue to be paid if they couldn’t.
Ron Pollard is the president of the Orange County Education Support Professional Association, which represents nearly 8,500 school support workers.
“Twelve of my employees have been there all summer working, and some of them have been exposed to COVID,” Pollard said.
Secretaries, custodians and bus drivers don’t have the ability to work remotely, which is why Pollard said the Memorandum of Understanding is important. He said it gave those at high-risk due to health conditions or age the option to stay home and still be paid.
"We've had some positive tests, and we've had some that have been sent for testing because they were exposed to somebody who was positive," said Pollard.
However, the MOU expired on Friday, and Pollard said, the district has not signed and extended it.
Without it, employees have to show up to work to get a paycheck, Pollard said.
"If my paycheck is challenged, or in danger, maybe I come to work sick, take a couple Tylenol's and nobody will notice," said Pollard.
News 6 asked Orange County Public Schools why they have not extended the MOU. A representative for the school district said they do not comment on ongoing negotiations with their bargaining units.
The association will be bargaining on Wednesday with the school district. While a new MOU has not been signed, the district told Pollard that until Wednesday, they will give workers who had previous accommodations consideration on a case-by-case basis.
The negotiations come as Orange County students begin the fall semester online on Aug. 10.