Dear Colleagues,
Negotiations Update:
Our Union sent a notice to the Board to negotiate a new contract on March 21. We followed up on April 7 with 7 possible dates from April 19 to May 10 when we would be available to meet. Vice-President Schaner and I first met with the Board team and a Federal Mediator on May 5 to discuss the style of negotiations and the ground rules.
We have decided to use the same style as 3 years ago - critical issues bargaining.
We have been informed by the Board that are only willing to negotiate a 1 year contract based on the District's current 5 year forecast.
We have 5 dates set starting with an all day training on May 27. The 5th meeting date is set for July 6.
We have allowed up to 7 members on a bargaining team, instead of 5. We have added 4th Vice-President Debbie Frost from Monticello to our team so that we have a middle school representative. For the monitors agreement we have asked Monitor Steward Randy Stokes to serve. Our other members are: Ari Klein, Brian Schaner, Karen Rego, Tamar Gray, and Jen Bennett.
We have been told the other unions in the district have agreed to a 0% raise 0 1 year contract extension, but that if we negotiate a raise and/or improvement in benefits or working conditions they will get it too. It is known as a "me too" agreement.
So, what this all means is that we will be negotiating during the summer and sending out periodic updates. We are in the process of updating our database with private emails and home addresses through our building stewards. Since we have not even started it is hard to know how long negotiations will take.
If there is a tentative agreement before school lets out then we will try to have a membership meeting and vote before everyone leaves for summer.
If we reach a tentative agreement over the summer we will publish and then take a vote when everyone returns.
If we do not reach a tentative agreement then we will probably take a strike vote when we return in the fall, depending on what the executive board recommends. There are other districts in the area that are in trouble right now (Cleveland, Westlake, and probably others) where cutbacks from the state, money going to charters and private schools, and a host of other issues are combining to create real financial problems. We have that here as well, especially with a much needed levy coming to the ballot in November. I wish I could be reassuring and tell you everything is going to be alright. I can't.
Fraternally,
Ari Klein
CHTU President
