[Editor’s Note: An update from the President of the Teachers Union to his members.]
Friends,
For each of the past two years, the School District came to CCFT (the Teachers Union) and ACE (the Assn. of Classified Employees) and asked us to help them get through this financial crisis by taking unpaid furlough days.
Each of us gave up five days of work (and pay) last year, and four additional unpaid days this year.
Taking these unpaid furlough days saved the School District millions of dollars.
They also made a number of significant cuts throughout the District, including increases to our class sizes and large cuts to our athletic budgets.
In bargaining this year, the District has not yet agreed to any of our proposals.
It was a surprise, then, to see that in the School Board meeting that was held over spring break that the District:
• Promoted the Director of Human Resources to Assistant Superintendent status;
• Increased the work year of the Security Supervisor from 11 months to 12 months;
• Added a new management position: Mental Health Case Manager
The Assistant Superintendent position pays $117,492 with 22 paid vacation days and a $175/month expense bump.
The new case manager will earn $84,000, more than the highest-paid teacher.
We're at the bargaining table on Monday, and you can be sure that these new management expenditures will change the tenor of those talks. We will be proposing that the one remaining furlough day, scheduled for May 25, be rescinded. We will take a much harder line on our proposal that the School District increase what it pays toward your health benefits and makes improvements to your salary schedule.
If you are as outraged as I am, you can communicate to the members of the Board at boardmembers@ccusd.org. The Superintendent, Patti Jaffe, can be reached at patriciajaffe@ccusd.org.
Mr. Mielke may be contacted at davidmielke@ccusd.org
