[Editor’s Note: The Teachers Union’s opening bargaining proposal is posted below, following President Mielke’s comments.]
Now that Culver City’s two new School Board members, Nancy Goldberg and Laura Chardiet, have been seated, the Culver City Federation of Teachers has kicked it into high gear on two fronts:
1. Negotiations
2. Laying the foundation for a labor/management “partnership” focused on student achievement.
Starting with negotiations, CCFT bargains each year with CCUSD. Multi-year deals would be great, but since our revenues change every year, depending on what’s going on in Sacramento, talks must be held each year.
To put this year’s negotiations into context, teachers in Culver City are taking four unpaid furlough days this year after taking 5 unpaid days last year.
CCUSD asked us for our help in a crisis. Your teachers stepped up, saving CCUSD over $1 million.
According to the most recent data from the Los Angeles County Office of Education, though, Culver City teachers rank just 42nd of the 47 unified districts in the county in terms of maximum salary.
Our last salary increase was bargained in 2007, a 1 percent raise.
It’s been even longer since we have seen an increase in CCUSD’s contribution toward our healthcare costs which, I am sure you know, go up every year.
As salaries have stayed flat and healthcare costs have risen, teachers’ standard of living has decreased.
But when we surveyed our members this fall prior to developing our bargaining proposal, salary was not the No. 1 concern. Healthcare costs? No. Furlough days? No.
Size Is Primary
The primary concern for Culver City teachers: Class size limits. If you want to make a teacher angry, make it tough for us to be effective. Larger classes do just that.
Currently, there are no hard, contractual maximums regarding class size. Over the years, CCUSD has done a good job of keeping our classes under control, but as the financial crunch has continued, it has been harder for them to hold the line.
Using my own classes as an example, the smallest of my Psychology classes at CCHS has 30 students; the largest has 37. As classes get larger, the student experience changes. It’s easier for any of them to fall through the cracks. It’s harder for us to develop the kind of relationships we want with all our students. The amount of written work we assign decreases. After all, how many nights would you want to spend correcting 175 essays?
A public hearing was held at last night’s school board meeting so that the community could give input on our proposal.
I explained to the Board that teachers need real class size limits; we need help with rising healthcare costs; and we are concerned that sub-standard salaries prevent us from attracting and keeping the best and brightest teachers.
If these are your concerns, please get up and share them at any Board meeting. My experience (I have been teaching here since 1979) is that School Boards listen more carefully to parents and community members than to teachers – although I have high hopes for this new Board.
Waiting for the Other Side
CCUSD has yet to present us with their proposal.
But we expect it, and a public hearing on their proposal, within the next month.
Whew.
If you still are with me, the best is yet to come. Our national affiliate organization, the American Federation of Teachers, has been working with local unions around the country to help them develop real, meaningful and equal educational partnerships with district administrators to address student achievement.
One of the best examples of such a partnership is ABC Unified in Orange County. They have experienced a new, collaborative spirit throughout their district, and they have seen a steady increase in student achievement.
A Legacy
I met two weeks ago with Supt. Patti Jaffe, Human Resources Director Leslie Lockhart, Kevin Cronin of our state organization, CFT, and Joan Devlin from the AFT headquarters in Washington D.C. to start the process here.
I think I can safely say that each of these people is 100 percent onboard. I am confident that the new Board will support this effort as well. We are such a small district – with relationships that have grown strong over the years – that this kind of collaborative relationship should have been put in place years ago.
But better late than never. Stay tuned. Bargaining is tough in these tough times, but the concerns about class size and competitive compensation are real. And the steps toward a deeper “partnership” give many of us optimism for our future. As Patti Jaffe said to me, “Dave, before you and I retire, let’s put something together to benefit those who follow us.”
The Teachers Union Proposal
Leslie Lockhart
Director, Human Resources: CCUSD
4034 Irving Place
Culver City, CA 90232
Dear Leslie,
Prior to developing our opening bargaining proposal, we survey our members. This proposal, for 2011-2012, reflects their concerns. While each of these items is important to us, more teachers than ever before have asked us to establish reasonable class size limits and add them to our collective bargaining agreement. Teachers hate anything that gets in the way of student achievement. We’re concerned that larger classes do just that.
Also, teachers have asked me to remind you that we’ve taken unpaid furlough days for each of the last two years. We’re expecting that CCUSD will have found ways to address budget issues while maintaining the integrity of a full school year.
Article 32: Wages
• The five-year waiting period to qualify for K-12 longevity steps shall be eliminated.
• One new longevity step shall be added to the K-12 and Office of Child Development salary schedules.
• Longevity steps shall be developed for Adult School teachers.
• The stipend schedule shall be revised and updated to include extra-duty assignments at elementary sites.
• One new stipend, at 20 percent of fulltime pay, shall be established for elementary combination classes.
• An across-the-board salary increase shall be funded if CCUSD’s ending balance exceeds the mandated 3 percent reserve.
Article 31: Health and Welfare
• Annual premium increases shall be divided equally between CCUSD and bargaining unit members.
• The annual maximum dental benefit shall be increased from $1,500 to $2,500.
• Cash in lieu of medical insurance shall be increased from $3,000 to $4,000.
• Sick leave balances shall be posted on the Subfinder site.
Article 26: Class Size
• The current calculation of class size limits by departmental and grade level averages shall be replaced by “semi absolute” maximums for individual classrooms.
• State caseload maximums for specialists and special education teachers shall be added to the collective bargaining agreement to facilitate in-house dispute resolution.
• Caseload maximums shall be established for specialists serving at multiple sites and for school nurses.
Article 25: Hours of Work
• Additional preparation time shall be established for all elementary classroom teachers.
• Additional preparation time shall be established for special education teachers at elementary sites.
• District-called meetings shall be held on minimum days and shall be limited to three meetings per month.
Finally, we’re hoping to discuss with CCUSD the current reimbursement structure regarding release time for union business.
Sincerely,
David Mielke, President
Mr. Mielke may be contacted at davidmielke@ccusd.org
