AFSCME Local 2174 tells Toledo board onboarding and promotion practices are hurting morale

Juana Gonzalez, who identified herself as president of AFSCME Local 2174, praised retiring staff and donations but raised concerns about human resources and onboarding practices that she said were negatively affecting long‑tenured clerical employees.

Gonzalez told the board that a recently hired employee, still within a 90‑day probation period, received opportunities that bypassed employees with decades of service. She asked the district to work with union leadership on onboarding, orientation and promotion processes, and to use labor‑management channels to address staffing and morale issues. The speaker said Local 2174 represents "a little over 200" members who together serve more than 20,000 students and more than 4,000 staff, and requested patience and cooperation in improving internal processes.

Board members thanked Gonzalez for attending and encouraged her to use labor‑management meetings to resolve the specific items she raised. No formal board action was recorded during the meeting on the union’s requests.