Working to make our schools better.

May 24: From Michael Schlusser, MUTA President:

MAY 24 BARGAINING UPDATE

Your Bargaining Team entered into a Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) with the school district concerning the implementation of the School Improvement Grant at Ella. The MOU addresses the length of the work day, compensation, transfers, instructional minutes, prep periods, and evaluations specifically for Ella. The complete text of the MOU can be viewed here.

On May 25th there will be a Public Hearing regarding the "turnaround" model to be implemented at Ella next school year.

No new bargaining dates were set.

Prior Bargaining Updates »

May 24, 2010 – MOU Full Text (pdf) »

CTA RESOURCES:
CTA Layoff Survival Guide (download the PDF) »
CTA Legal Services (Requires member login to access resources) »
CTA Member Services – RIFs and Layoffs (Requires member login) »
CTA Legal Resources »

MUTA News

May 24, 2010 – MOU Full Text (pdf) »

January 24, 2010
Letter from Michael Schlusser, MUTA President

To all bargaining unit members:

First of all, you should know that I and the rest of MUTA’s leadership are fully aware of the crisis in the state involving the budget process and our economy. That being said I would like to remind our members that collective bargaining is a process, one that your leadership is trained in and which has served the teachers and other employees in this district very well over the last few years. I am asking you to trust the process.

When you are very involved in anything it is easy to lose sight of the fact that others who are not so involved might not understand how it works. I was reminded of this the other day when a teacher asked me a question about the contract and it was very clear that he had no idea what collective bargaining was. Therefore, not wanting to make assumptions about what you may or may not know about MUTA, MJUSD, the contract, or contract negotiations, I would like to go over some of the basics. Please bear with me.

The Executive Board of MUTA makes decisions based on the input of its bargaining unit’s members as expressed by the Representative Council. Each school site should elect a representative or representatives (based on a ratio of 15-1) who should seek the input of the members at that site and communicate with them about the decisions made at Rep. Council. The council meets normally on the fourth Tuesday of the month. Occasionally, when directed by the council or when there is a contract ratification pending, MUTA holds a general meeting to ensure that all those represented by MUTA have an opportunity to make their views known to our membership and to their elected officers.

The Executive Board, the Rep. Council, and interested members receive training and information about issues affecting the bargaining process and other issues from the California Teachers Association (CTA). In addition, a CTA employee is available to MUTA for assistance, ensuring that we have all the legal and organizing resources we need to represent our members and negotiate contracts.

Before negotiations on a new contract can begin, a bargaining team is appointed by the President, recommended by the Executive Board and approved by the Rep. Council. The members of the bargaining unit (MUTA members and non-members alike) are surveyed about what contractual issues are seen as most pressing. Then, the bargaining team presents an initial proposal to the Rep. Council which, if approved, is sent to the district, agendized for the MJUSD School Board, and “sunshined” for the public.

Normally, the district’s proposal is then agendized and presented to the board. Once that has been approved, an initial meeting is set, the two sides meet and bargaining dates are calendared. The past practice of our district (and most districts) has been to stall the bargaining process as long as possible to gain whatever advantage they could by forcing us to negotiate while being pushed against the deadline of the end of the school year. The last time we negotiated a contract the district sunshined their proposal well after the previous contract had expired. We are now in the final year of a three year contract that expires June 30, 2010. To some, the district’s announcement that they plan to sunshine a contract proposal for next year in January of this year is an ominous sign.

Last week the MJUSD management team, in the person of Mr. Mark Allgire, presented to the board a budget scenario filled with draconian cuts and proclamations of forthcoming disaster, not unlike proclamations that he has issued the last few years. Let me remind you that two years ago, this same management team told us that they couldn’t pass on the COLA because it would bankrupt the district. During the bargaining process that year, the state COLA was bargained and agreed upon, and later the board was able to boast about MJUSD’s “good financial health.”

Last year there were board members and teachers who were trying to stampede us into offering to accept a pay cut so that we could save teachers’ jobs. Then there was a Reduction-in-Force (RIF). Your association urged you to let the process work although it would be stressful. In the end, Marysville Joint hired 10 new teachers and MJUSD gained ADA as a result of students transferring in from districts that had cut class size reduction. Again, the school board was able to boast about how lucky we were to be in such comparatively good financial health.

Please know that the cuts now proposed would have a massive negative effect on our students. Keep in mind that the scenario Mr. Allgire presented to the board last week contained very few cuts anywhere but right in or next to the classroom. In fact, a school board member informed the audience at that board meeting that there were no other areas that could be cut at the District Office because “ … they have already been cut to the bone. We only have three administrators here.” If you believe that one, Mr. Allgire would also like you to believe that, when he once again announces the eminent collapse of the atmosphere and cries his warnings of the ravenous wolf at the door, it is REALLY real, this time.

If we had agreed to take less than COLA in past years or had rushed to offer up a salary sacrifice year, does anyone actually believe that MJUSD wouldn’t be presenting us with a worst case scenario exactly like this one and demanding that teachers and students should once again be the ones to shoulder the burden? Let us stand together and work with the district to craft a reasonable contract for 2010-2011 that provides the most benefit for the greatest number. Trust the process, please.

Thank You,
Michael Schlussler
President, Marysville UTA

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