SEA Bargaining Update for March 2015 WHAT IS OUR
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SEA Bargaining Update for March 2015 WHAT IS OUR CURRENT CONTRACT? The Sweetwater Education Association’s last contract (AGREEMENT BETWEEN SWEETWATER UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT AND SWEETWATER EDUCATION ASSOCIATION/CTA/NEA July 1, 2013 through June 30, 2016) was reached May 2, 2014 and is available to view here: https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/seacta/pages/23/attachments/original/1424355445/SEA_Teac her_Contract_2013-2016.pdf?1424355445 WHAT WILL BE NEGOTIATIOED BY OUR BARGAINING TEAM THIS YEAR? Per Article 1.4, on page 1, of this last agreement “On or before February 1, 2015 both parties agree to reopen Article 18, Health and Welfare Benefits and Article 36, Wages.” This means that our SEA Bargaining Team Representatives will be meeting with the SUHSD Bargaining Team Representatives to negotiate on only these two “reopeners.” Members may be aware that, per Article 15.12 on Coaching Assignments, “The District and the Association will have a joint committee to recommend standards and amounts for extracurricular stipends.” Our union has recently held open hearings to gather input from union members about possible changes to stipends and standards for positions listed in Appendix C-2 and C-3 on pages 145 and 146 of the current contract. This Joint Committee is different from the SEA Bargaining Team that will be negotiating on “reopeners” this year. WHO IS ON OUR SEA BARGAINING TEAM? Sandra Finkelberg, Bargaining Team Chair and Teacher at Hilltop High School Ben Cassel, Bargaining Team Representative and Teacher at Sweetwater High School Jennifer Young, Bargaining Team Representative and Teacher at Hilltop Middle School Ola Hadi, Bargaining Team Representative and Teacher at Olympian High School Lauren McLennan, Bargaining Team Representative and Teacher at Mar Vista High School Leo Hsu, Bargaining Team Representative and Teacher at Rancho Del Rey Middle School Lian Shoemake, CTA Executive Director WHO IS ON THE SUHSD BARGAINING TEAM? The SUHSD Bargaining Team has not yet been announced. WHAT HAS BEEN THE PROGRESS OF NEGOTIATIONS? The SEA Bargaining Team has not yet met with the SUHSD Bargaining Team, but SEA has proposed bargaining meeting dates. These possible dates include May 18th, June 8th, and June 9th.. These dates have not yet been confirmed or finalized. HOW CAN WE COMMUNICATE OUR CONCERNS TO THE SEA BARGAINING TEAM? Members are encouraged to email any of the SEA Bargaining Team members above. Members can also communicate input to SEA Site Representatives. As our bargaining team members (with the exception of CTA Staff) are unpaid for this additional responsibility and are still full-time working educators, it may take time to respond to questions or concerns. WHAT WILL MOST IMPACT THIS NEW ROUND OF BARGAINING? Class size reductions will impact our bargaining proposals. In the last round of bargaining, which resulted in our most recent contract, our bargaining team was successful in reaching a 28:1 class size ratio (Per Article 7.1 “Effective the 2015-2016 school year, the allocation of full-time equivalent 7-12 school classroom teachers, for staffing purposes only, shall not exceed twenty-eight to one (28:1).”) Class size reduction, or CSR, was a significant victory for our union’s bargaining team, and this was largely due to the support given to the bargaining team by our general membership and by our organizing committee. CSR reflects the commitment of Sweetwater Education Association educators to improve quality instruction and student learning, as well as student safety. All SEA members should understand that although this ratio of 28:1 will reduce the amount of students in class, it does not mean that classes will be limited to 28 students-rather that the school will be staffed at a ratio of 28 students per teacher. Faculty Advisory Committees (FACs) and Principals at SUHSD are well-informed of the upcoming change and have an obligation to plan responsibly using a staffing ratio of 28:1 for the upcoming 2015-2016 school year. Implementation of CSR will require the hiring of additional teachers, and this cost will impact our SEA bargaining team’s proposals. The amount of revenue coming to our District will also impact our bargaining team’s proposals. The May Revision of the Governor’s Budget, often called “the May Revise,” will shed light on how much revenue may be available for the next round of bargaining. The May Revise will not be available until mid-May. It is important the members bear in mind that the funding to schools has recently changed to the new Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF). Our Bargaining Team predicts that due to some of these changes, particularly to an increase in what is termed gap funding, additional revenues will be available. This will also impact our SEA bargaining team’s proposals. Finally, the SEA bargaining team will continue to fight for the best interests of our membership, our students, and the communities we serve. WHY SHOULD I CARE ABOUR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING? Our union, and our united voice, gives us a stronger voice to negotiate for the better wages, benefits, and teaching and learning conditions than what we could hope to fight for as individuals. In a political climate where the voice of educators is often minimized, attacked, or silenced, our union dues serve to strengthen the voice of educators through this collective bargaining process. We urge members to stay abreast of the negotiations throughout this process and to also stay abreast of the changing political landscape. We can never take for granted how important the collective bargaining process is. .