MARTINSBURG - A group of 16 bus aides formerly employed by the Berkeley County Board of Education is hoping to stop the posting of 48 jobs until its complaint with the State Employees Grievance Board can be resolved.
The petition for preliminary injunction was filed June 13 in Berkeley Circuit Court, where Judge David Sanders will handle it.
The petition says each of the petitioners has more than 20 years of experience working in the Berkeley County school system but were notified on April 3 that they were being placed on a transfer list.
They say they were not informed what their new duties would be, just that they were needed in the elementary schools. That was the cause of their complaint.
On June 8, the petition says Eric Kesecker, Assistant Director of Transportation in charge of the Special Education Department, told 23 bus aides that their jobs were being eliminated and 48 new jobs would be posted.
"In order to maintain their position on their grievance, Petitioners herein must maintain their current aide positions," the petition says. "However, they have now been advised by their supervisor that they must apply for the new jobs.
"Allowing these new positions to be posted will permanently alter Petitioners' employment options now and in the future."
Jessica Baker of Moorefield firm Walters, Krauskopf and Baker is representing the petitioners, who are: Nina Boarman, Margaret Myers, Patsy Fowler, Linda Grubb, Brenda Brode, Brenda Bolyard, Rosalie Schaeffer, Debbie Rodgers, Marlene Bishop, Teresa Montgomery, Kim Dillow, Beverly Cramer, Brenda Gochenour, Luz Benavides, Bonnie Burkhart and Joyce Englebright.
Berkeley Circuit Court case number 06-C-410
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