Sophie Short and Naphelia Brown are the resource co-ordinator and librarian at a Whangarei school - but their actual job descriptions extend much further than that.
That's why they joined members of their union, NZEI, from around the country yesterday in a national day of action to push for pay increases and separate Government funding for support staff.
A determined group of five union members from Whangarei waved signs and donned pink wigs outside Whangarei MP Phil Heatley's office yesterday.
Most staff, such as teacher aides, librarians and administrative staff, barely get paid above the minimum wage of $12.50, and most are paid out of the school's operating budget - Government money schools use to pay for day-to-day items like new desks and chairs.
Ms Brown is the librarian at Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o te Rawhitiroa in Tikipunga, but does a whole lot more than just shelve books.
"Sophie [Short] and I run the school vans in the mornings - no buses come to our school so I start at 7.30 and go and pick the kids up, and take them home in the afternoon."
Ms Brown also does relief administration work, helps organise and supervise extra-curricular activities, and "whatever else I'm asked to do".
Jo Collyer is a classroom teacher at St Francis Xavier School, and came to show her support for the support staff.
"Teachers can't do their job without the support staff," she said.
"Especially the teacher aides, their job is getting harder and harder as there are more behavioural problems with children in schools."
Mr Heatley was meeting with Transport Minister Steven Joyce when the women knocked on his office door, and they were instead met with his press secretary Nick Bryant.
Mr Heatley later told the Northern Advocate he was disappointed not to have been able to meet the women as he understood they had genuine concerns.
"We can give them the assurance that negotiations will start soon, the Minister is still working through the process. These deals do take a while and did so even under the previous Government ... I understand their uncertainty."
Support staff want to see the new government provide the extra money needed, which would free up the operations grant to be spent within the school.
The union lodged claims for support staff in November last year, and has sought bargaining dates since early February. The previous collective agreement expired in March.
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