Bad News for TEACHERS--Bummer in the Summer...or?

It's all back on the table except that 2% pay cut. So.. a two-tiered retirement health benefits (designed to eventually break the union), teach 6 periods a day --no questions asked or needed, larger class sizes (what they really want) and that vague wording in Article 39 that takes undetermined freedoms away from teachers--unilateral expansion of district power and authority.

The counselors have settled (June 1) and received what they asked for. Was this another district strategy: isolate the teachers' union and weaken it?

THINK ABOUT IT

FYI: From the SEA website:Bargaining Update #15 JUNE 29, 2009

Members of the SEA and District Bargaining Teams met in a MediationSession on Monday, June 29, 2009. No settlement was reached. The statemediator certified the parties to Factfinding. At this time we do notknow when Factfinding will occur.The terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement that expired on June 30,2008 remain in effect. After the Factfinding report is published, if the School Board of Trusteesvotes to do so, the District will then have the right to unilaterallyimpose their Last, Best, and Final offer.

Elements of that offer include:

• Article 37, Wages – Unilaterally reopen this article plus one otherarticle if the state budget contains additional cuts for 2009-2011.

• Article 7, Class Size – Unilateral implementation of the 30:1 staffingratio.

• Article 38, 4x4 Pilot at Montgomery High School – Unilaterallyeliminate contractual language, thereby eliminating the program.

• Article 6, Calendar – Unilateral implementation of District’s proposalfor 2009-2010.

• Article 4, Adult School – Unilateral elimination of Adult School breakstipend.

• Article 18, Health and Welfare – Unilateral implementation of atwo-tiered retirement health care system for SEA bargaining unit members,only. New hires (after July 1, 2009) will no longer be eligible forpost-retirement health benefits.

• Article 22, Leave – Unilaterally eliminate “out-of-state” travel as acriterion for extended bereavement leave.

• Article 35, Teaching Assignments – Unilaterally eliminate allrestrictions on 1/6 assignments.

• NEW: Article 39, District Rights – Unilateral expansion of Districtpower and authority.

With the exception of Article 37, Wages the District has not changed its bargaining position on any of the above issues since January 2009.



It is all on the SEA WEBSITE. http://www.seacta.org/website/index.php