Issaquah School Board members and Superintendent Steve Rassmussen listened attentively to a half dozen speakers representing maintenance workers who are currently undergoing contract negotiations with the district. Dozens more turned out in support at a board meeting last week.

The negotiations, which have been going on since the summer, have not gone well and a mediator has been brought in.

Sharon Klein, a school bus driver, spoke in support of her friends in the maintenance department.

“There has been trust lost,” she said. “Give them what they ask for. They deserve it and they earned it.”

“Never seen anyone more disrespectful,” said Dean Kaufman, who has been with the district for 23 years. “We don’t understand, we just want a fair contract with fair pay.”

“Were you really trying to annoy us?” Thomas Brown asked.

School Board members kept quiet for the most part, sometimes nodding. Board President Jan Woldseth did answer at one point, stating that it wasn’t the intention to annoy, but said that negotiations needed to be left at the table.

After each person spoke, a large round of applause from the audience followed.

Pat Walker, the union rep for SEIU 925, gathered the largest applause and a standing ovation after telling the board that she couldn’t see how districts could be allowed to do this.

“We don’t want to be disrespected,” Walker said, noting that the union wasn’t being offered state mandated health care increases. “I can not see how we can allow districts to do this.”