Welcome to the latest National Negotiations Update. Currently there aren't any districts on strike that I am aware of, but I have made some job action additions and corrections to StrikeWatch on the right. If you don't see your local on this list, please contact me at drhomeslice (at) hotmail. com .
Alaska
Anchorage- the Anchorage Education Association stormed the school board meeting. There were so many of them that the Anchorage police were called. An arbitrator's report is expected soon, and it will not be binding-- simply an opinion.
California
Bakersfield- The Bakersfield Union crashed the school board, protesting the transfer of a principal (go figure) and demanding a contract settlement. A mediator is supposed to come back March 7.
Campbell- Campbell Union High School District teachers are working to the rule, and have been for quite some time.
Everywhere- The California Faculty Association's executive board has agreed to put a vote to the rank and file on whether or not they want to begin job actions (which includes the possibility of a strike). This would occur on all of the campuses of California State University.
San Bernardino- Teachers at Big Bear Lake have been working under their expired 2005 contract. Negotiations are not going well.
San Mateo- San Mateo Union High School District isn't moving fast enough on their contract negotiations with their teachers, so teachers from three other school districts with them. You may remember this is the district that changed the amount of money they were taking out of the teachers' paychecks in the middle of negotiations. The union appealed to PERB and their complaint was upheld.
Santa Barbara- The teachers' union got a 3% raise retroactively through the 2008-2009 school year in the tentative contract agreement this past week. Coming to an agreement now prevented the district and union from having to endure fact finding with PERB.
Illinois
Elgin- Elgin Community College are picketing and will be meeting with a mediator. If the meeting doesn't work out, they will file a 10 day strike notice. It's the first time they've done that since 2001, the only strike in their local's history.
Dixon- The Dixon Education Association approved a 4 year contract. Lots of details here.
Indiana
South Bend- Cassopolis Schools Education Association ratified their contract, a two year deal retroactive to this school year. The most interesting part of the contract was the raise. Teachers will receive a 1% increase this year and a 2% increase next year. However, raising insurance rates will decrease the teachers' raise. Here's how: If insurance costs raise no more that 5%, the teachers' raise will not be affected. For each percent above 5% of an increase in health care costs, .1% will be subtracted from the teachers' raise. With health care rising each year in double digits (or very close to that) they will probably see at lease half a percent of the raise go to some insurer somewhere.
Massachusetts
Stoneham- For almost a year, the Stoneham Teachers' Association has been trying to get a new contract negotiated.
Michigan
Lansing- The school board unanimously approved the contract. Now we can put this sucker to bed. (See past NNU's for info on this local).
Northville- The Northville Education Association's contract expired in September of this past year, and negotiations have not been productive. The school district asked for fact finding, but it won't begin until the end of the school year (with one week left) in June. There's a great explanation of what fact-finding is attached to this article.
New Jersey
Pequannock-- Pequannock Township Education Association has asked for a mediator after the decision to hold contract negotiation sessions open to the public. They will not be broadcast over public television, but that is a later possibility.
Pennsylvania
Everywhere- The Bulletin follows the recent legislative attempts to outlaw teacher strikes.
Philadelphia- City College of Philadephia's union does a practice strike.
Coraopolis- The 65 member union rejected the latest Board contract offer and also approved strike authorization, though they have not set a date yet.
Rhode Island
Providence- As contracts expire between unions and school boards, at some point eventually they will be folded into a statewide teacher contract. Interesting. However, given the fact that Rhode Island is exactly half the size of my backyard, I wonder how many different unions will be affected? (My backyard's not that big, by the way.)
Vermont
Bellows Falls- The Windham Northeast Education Association is awaiting a fact-finding report that their school board can use to impose a contract on the union. The union has responded that if a contract is imposed upon them they have no option other than to strike.
1 comment:
I love that you are keeping track of the happenings around the nation!
Just a little bit more information on the Anchorage issue. So many teachers arrived at the board meeting that the school board wanted to impose the maximum capacity rule. Too bad for them that it was not posted outside (illegally, I might add) and teachers ASKED that the Fire Marshall and Police be called to the meeting to settle the issue. However, that darned misleading NBC affiliate reported that teachers were unruly and police had to be called. Not true, for I was one of the lucky ones that got a seat.
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