Teacher aides and support staff across the Bay will meet with union delegates next week as they seek better pay for their work.
Teachers' union NZEI Te Riu Roa's support staff representative Sue Poole said the collective agreement for support staff was up for renewal later this year.
Teacher aides, office administrators, librarians and science technicians would attend the union meetings.
"Schools couldn't function without us, but many of us earn less than the living wage despite years of experience and our hours are the first on the chopping block when school budgets are tight - made worse by the Government's freeze on school operations this year."
Ms Poole, an Opotiki College teacher aide, said any increase in pay for support staff came out of a school's operations grant.