AMHERST — Amherst school officials have already pledged to never again use inmates to do work at the public schools after the Amherst Regional High School newspaper last spring reported prisoners were hired to reupholster auditorium seats in the high school and middle school
To make sure prison labor is avoided, and in response to the resulting community dialogue, the Amherst Regional School Committee this week examined a new resolution to spell out the district’s position. It states that the public schools are “committed to the belief that all workers should be paid at least the generally prevailing minimum wage” and that all vendors seeking to handle contract services “will be required to pay their employees, at a minimum, the higher of the federal or state minimum wages,” even if a contractor is on the approved vendor list by the state of Massachusetts.
The committee voted unanimously Tuesday to have its policy subcommittee examine the resolution, with the hope it can be turned into a formal policy following legal advice.
Amherst representative Anastasia Ordonez said crafting a policy that can be enacted and reflect the community’s values is worth fighting for.
In March, the school district signed a contract with Massachusetts Correctional Industries, a program that provides work training and experience to inmates.
When this came to light in an article in The Graphic in June, the criticism that ensued prompted Superintendent Michael Morris to announce that the district wouldn’t use MassCor again.
But Morris told the committee that he is obligated to find a legal way to prevent using MassCor as a vendor that doesn’t run afoul of state law. With Chairman Eric Nakajima, Morris drafted the three-paragraph statement.
“This was Mr. Nakajima and my best draft now for a resolution that would eventually be put into a policy,” Morris said.
Morris said in some roles and occupations it is legal to pay below minimum wage, so the policy has to reflect the district’s values in both payment plans and fair trade practices.
Committee member Allison McDonald said the policy also has to comply with state procurement laws and other guidelines.
It is unknown what compensation prisoners received for the work on the seats, though the Hampshire County Sheriff’s Office pays 25 cents per hour when its inmates do various tasks in and for the community.
Morris said over the last three years having such a policy wouldn’t have affected any other contracts for the Amherst, Pelham or regional schools, after Pelham representative Ronald Mannino asked if adopting a policy would limit the number of vendors.
Leverett representative Kip Fonsh said he found it unfortunate that the community conversation around using prison labor was divisive, adding that the issue is complex and could have used additional discussion.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
