On Sept. 13, I attended an informational picket held by Champaign-

Urbana Public Health District employees who are seeking to form a union, and I then sat in on a meeting of the district Board of Directors. It was both my first picket and my first Board of Health meeting.

The contrast between the two was striking. The picketers were friendly and welcoming and seemed committed to their cause. The district board meeting was disturbing. There was little discussion of most items on the meeting agenda. It appeared as though almost everything had been decided before the meeting, out of the public eye. Strangely, even though there was a picket before the meeting, when the subject of negotiations with the new union came up, the district director told the district board that contract negotiations with the union were going fine. Board member Patricia Avery kept the Board from skipping discussion of the issue entirely – but even so, the discussion was minimal. I was confused as to whether the director was intentionally lying or if he was simply that out of touch. Clearly, negotiations are not “going fine.”

I hope other government agencies operate better than the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District. What I saw did not give me confidence. I encourage others to check out district board meetings. I don’t think citizens and taxpayers would be pleased by what they would see and by what their tax dollars are paying for.

Lauri Feldman

senior at University High School