Negotiation House of Horrors!

Whew....I'm glad I don't have to deal with the frustration King City Joint Union HSD is causing their teachers' association.

What do I mean?



First, if you go to their website it looks like one school district, but is actually two: one for the high school and one for the elementary.


So anyhow, the KCHSTA (High School Teacher's Association) started salary negotiations in 2000.

1. The union began to negotiatiate in good faith.


2. Despite setbacks, they kept negotiations going.


3. The negotiations stalled.


4. The union started working to the rule.


5. Back to the bargaining table, but then the negotiations stall again.


6. The Union alleges to PERB (Public Employees Relations Board) and PERB (gasp) agrees. In fact, PERB believed that the district owed the union $5 million in back pay over the past 5 years (the ruling was reached in the fall of 2005).


7. Awarding that amount to teachers would have automatically paved the way for the state to take over the district (only a $15 million budget per year) so the teacher's union generously agreed to lower their compensation to $1.2 million. (Keep in mind that if the district were negotiating in good faith and committed to resolving these issues amicably, that they wouldn't have to deal with 3 years of back pay and retroactive raises.)


8. Shortly after the agreement was reached, someone in the district office provided the names of the highest paid teachers and what they would get retroactively. Keep in mind that much of that information is wrong. Some might call the release of that information "leaking", but it is public information. Of course, we know that it was done simply to make teachers look overpaid; something I don't think is possible.
   

The teachers of KCJUHSD (man, what an acronym) should be getting their retroactive money in about two months or so, but are you ready for the kicker?

All this is only good through the end of the 2007-2008 school year. Then they have to start negotiations all over again.

Patience, thy name is King City High School Teachers Association.

(Words by Dr. Homeslice, Artwork above "Negotiation" by David Ross.)

For the latest on teacher union strikes or negotiations, click here.