Unfair Labor Charges Brought Against TCSD
I received a couple of public documents citing unfair labor charges brought against the TCSD by the Taylor Education Association. According to the documents, the charges are sufficient enough for the suit to continue and a hearing to be held within 30 days. You can view the documents by Clicking Here and then clicking the appropriate links.
Also including on that page is a link to the Special Magistrate's Non-Binding Opinion on the impasse of three issues between the Union and the TCSD.
It's interesting to see the union fighting these pay cuts so hard.
When you talk face-to-face to people who work for the district, they say the pay cuts are preferable to further job cuts. And yet the union's actions seem to indicate the opposite.
There are two possibilities I see.
One is that what people say face-to-face doesn't represent how they really feel; that is, that in reality they would rather see more layoffs in order to maintain their salaries.
The other possibility is that the union is not, in fact, representing the will of its members.
I find both possibilities disturbing.
Reply to this
OMG, how selfish of teachers and staff to think they shouldn't give up 5% of their salary! Get rid of all of them instead of 60-something and start all over. Surely they aren't worth what they are being paid now.
Reply to this
Are you willing to give up 5% of your salary? Or do you not work at all and we that are working, are paying for you to sit at home. I am not a teacher but if you talk to any teacher that is good, kind and cares for the students, you will find out that most of them spend between $300 and $1,000 of their own HARD EARNED money in their classroom. So to give up 5% more hurts them. How much have you given to the schools if you have any children? 0% of you time and money. Put you money where your mouth is. You don't know what you are talking about.
Reply to this
If you knew the teachers and the staff
you would know that they deserve much more than they are paid. Go work one day in their place. Start all over?
you must be dreaming-who do you think wants to come to work in this school
system? Talk to the teachers, visit the
schools and find out what is really going on.
Reply to this
I have visited the schools, I was at the Taylor County High School today... I know a lot of the teachers personally. I do feel for the teachers... literally most of the teachers that are teaching now are the ones that educated me... but, it has nothing to do with that... its the fact that the board is doing EVERYTHING and I mean EVERYTHING they can to weather the storm. But you have to realize there is a storm. A little of something is better than nothing. But this stupid charge against the board is ridiculous all it is going to do is take more money away from what already is a little amount of money... when they lose that money what do you think is going to happen then... you got it... more cuts...
Like I said before if you have a better solution, then speak it... but don't chastise for no reason... constructive criticism is good... but when there is no solution behind it, what does it help.
I want everyone to be happy believe me I really do... but like I also said before... we are in a RECESSION... everyone is feeling it... Businesses, Home-owners, the homeless, everyone... get over it... its happening and there is nothing really do be done except to weather the storm... the current board or super did not go to the state and suggest that we start making cuts to the budget or did they ask for this recession... if you really want to blame someone, blame yourself and your neighbors... we all are the reason for this recession.. we are the ones that took out mortgages that we could not pay, we are the ones with outrages credit card debt and we are the reason the state does not have the money to fund the school properly... so basically what I am saying is that me and you and our friends and family and everyone else that lives in this great country are the reason that the teachers are cuts... not the board...
-God Bless Taylor County!
Reply to this
I think part of the issue involving the unfair labor charges brought against the TCSD is the way Dyal handled the situation so unprofessionally. There was a hearing set to discuss the salary cut and Dyal sent out that now famous email notifying everyone about the cuts when a hearing was to be held in a few days to make the cuts appropriately. What the issue is now is not the cuts as much as the "unfair labor practice" of making the cuts via an email. In the now famous Steinhatchee school board meeting the union rep from Tallahassee stated that he had not seen such an "egregious" act by a school board and superintendent in his 30 years working wit school unions. I think the act of making the cuts when you have a scheduled hearing to discuss and make the cuts shows lack of good faith on Dyals part. The real "crime" here is that the school board will have to pay attorney's fees and related costs of the union due to Dyal's lack of understanding of the process. Dyal has essentially cost the district valuable resources in a time when resources are scarce. I believe that teachers would prefer keeping jobs vs. the 5% cut. They may be "selfish" but they are not stupid. A good point by the prior poster, the union has always represented the interests of a few long-term members!
Reply to this
The e-mail notification with one day's advance notice wasn't the best move, I agree. Although it can't be said that it caught people off guard; everyone knew the cuts were pretty much a sure thing.
And the problem is had the district worked around the union's schedule, at least one more pay period would've passed before the cuts could be implemented. And that would've meant taking even MORE money out of teachers' checks for the remainder of the school year--something I don't think they'd have been happy about.
The pay cuts suck, to be sure. But as the magistrate said, they HAD to happen in the absence of additional job cuts (something difficult to do in the middle of the school year, and Dyal came into office in November). The union, by fighting the cuts, comes across looking petty and selfish. They need to just accept them and move on, in the best interest of the district as a whole.
Reply to this
All people involved knew the cuts were coming, you a small few, like 37% representing all the teachers. As always they seem to think they are above the norm. Everyone across the country is getting cut in some way, Dyal saved a number of jobs with the cut, be realistic it was only 5% over the 4 month period, which calculates to 1.66 over their whole salary for the year. What astounds me is that the few would rather see the friends lose their job than giving up a little.
As for the union rep-he is the worse joke of them all, he is just bleeding the union for money, ask him if his company has cut jobs and wages, bet you would be suprised at the answer.
Reply to this
I don't know why people are crying about the pay cuts our biggest concern should be our children. If your child lives within a 2 mile circle that was drawn on a map and is in 6-12 grade they are stuck finding their own way to school. This means the parents that can have to drive them to school- but the child is still stuck finding a way home due to most parents working past 2:30pm. And the kids that don't have that option have to walk, which means crossing 19/98 - is the county paying for the crossing guards to make sure children don't get hit by cars? Not only is that an issue what about all the sex offends in our county that our children have to watch out for. Do you think the county could afford to deal with a child getting hurt, molested or end up missing ?
Reply to this
whah, whah, whah! so kids (6-12) have to walk home. don't they know how to cross the street by themselves? stop thinking YOU and YOUR CHILDREN are entitled to ride for free when the district doesn't get funds for riders within 2 miles. that is why i don't understand how the powers that be logically say we will lose students if we close steinhatchee school because parents are more willing to drive their kids 14 miles one way when they whine about 2 miles! go figure!!!
Reply to this
As a parent, I DO NOT appreiate that comment at all!! Do you not have children? My children are (for the most part) well behaved, well rounded children but not what I consider "street smart" enough to cross Hwy 19, 98, OR 27. And for that matter, do you not pay attention on the roads to see that no matter if our 6th grade children can cross a street by themselves that has nothing whatsoever to do with DRIVERS! Just because I pay attention and drive as safe as possible doesnt mean everyone does. Then you have your teenage drivers who are more worried about loud music, talking to friends, OR talking on their cell phone. I ABSOLUTELY dont think that parents are asking for a free ride but I also know that there are not going to be additional crossing guards to watch these kids.
Reply to this
I don't think 19, 98, or 27 are within 2 miles of TCMS, so kids shouldn't need to cross those highways under the new plan.
Also, school transportation laws have special provisions for dangerous roads.
Reply to this
since it is only 1.66% of their annual salary, why not donate that portion of your salary to help save jobs?
Reply to this
Has anyone heard if the other union is going to file a similar suit against the board?
Reply to this
Come on...2 miles...hopefully that was a diameter circle but still, 1 mile is a bit long for a walk to school. Wouldn't their stop be an obvious drop-off and pick-up point since the buses would need to pass by their general area too and from the school. Maybe rerouting the buses to accomodate everyone and having larger area bus stops could work. There should be some type of mapquest type analysis tool out there to figure this out. I'd be pissed if I had to walk to school a mile. How big is this town anyway...5 square miles?
Reply to this
The problem is that the state doesn't pay the district to transport kids within that range, which means that the district has to eat that cost itself. And as we all know, the district is broke at the moment.
In middle and high school, I had to either walk or ride my bike to school--and it was around two miles. It really wasn't a big deal.
Reply to this
We have gotten off the subject, but if you check out WCTV's website, Florida High just let 37 annual contract teachers go, this is going on all over the State. Dyal may be a genius by saving jobs with the pay cut, wake up teachers.
Reply to this
I would not give Dyal kudos just yet. Dyal made an administrative error in the "cut". If he had only waited until the hearing that was set the following week for that purpose he would not have been found to have committed an unfair labor practice and liable for the union's attorney fees and costs.
A bit penny wise and pound foolish. If he had not jumped the gun on the cut, he would not be costing the district in the long run with these problems. I do not how much it will ultimately cost the district, but if you figure the diect cost of the unfair labor practice, the indirect costs - loss of moral and productivity and cost of defending the court case that would need to be deducted from what ever he has calculated as "savings".
I agree with the previous suggestion that the teachers are not opposed to the cuts vs. losing the job, it is really about how disingenuous Dyal's actions have been. I would hope that since Dyal obviously lacks the experience and credability with the district employees, he would be more open to let the district personnel assist with developing solutions. Solutions that can not be obtained with the moron that is Bill Montford.
Reply to this
But waiting just one more week would've meant waiting an entire additional pay period before implementing the cuts, which would've meant having to slash salaries even more deeply, which would've placed an even greater burden on teachers.
In the end, the blame for any legal fees that come as a result of this move lies squarely on the shoulders of the union--not Dyal. It's the union that's choosing to go this route, presumably to make a point. It's not acting in the best interest of its members or the district as a whole by doing so, though.
That said, Dyal has made some missteps since taking office. That's to be expected from a new superintendent, though. I'm not sure who he's taking advice from--I suspect it may be the same crew that advised Oscar Howard, and we all know how THAT turned out.
Reply to this
Dyal has created this mess, not the union. And I am not a teacher or a member of the union. A hearing was set and Dyal implemented the cuts prior to the hearing for some unknown reason via an email. Dyal is the super and the buck stops at his desk, although I agree he does not have much of a dynamic management team. Dyal also appears to be taking advice from the portly and stupid Bill Montford-School Board Association. This coupled with Dyal's ignorance / unwillingness to follow clear set out policies and procedures has "the blame for any legal fees" for the school board and the union and other fees. When the dust settles I wonder if the total cost would have defrayed the cost of an 11-month teacher's salary. Dyal needs to take additional time in decision making and use some type of strategy to make sound decisions, not knee-jerk decisions, which seem to be all he can do up to this point.
Reply to this
The union can't be absolved of responsibility; they're the ones who initiated the legal challenge. No one forced them to--they chose to, even knowing that the district is financially strapped.
And why? They've simply been fighting the inevitable; there's no doubt that the salary cuts were necessary. The magistrate said as much in his opinion. Anyone looking at the district's financial condition can easily recognize it. Waiting another pay period would've meant cutting even more money out of teachers' checks for the remainder of the year. I assume that Dyal didn't feel like that was in the best interest of the teachers, and I can see his point.
I'm not a teacher or a member of the union either, but I get the distinct impression that most teachers are unhappy with how the union has handled this. They seem to recognize the necessity of the cuts, and see the futility and wastefulness of fighting them.
The union needs to drop its fight, accept the painful but necessary reality, and help to put this difficult chapter behind the district. Everyone's salary will be restored in July, most likely, and they can move on.
Reply to this
either way teachers are losing jobs. dyal is no genius. just another politician!
Reply to this
Oscar always worked the union angle against the school board, and when he was under Ms. Gardner he worked the union angle against her as well. Oscar would always tell the union one thing then the school board another. Dyal does not have the political savy to and shear nerve yet. Dyal has yet to figure how to work all sides while serving his own agenda. You know kind of an oscarism.
Reply to this
Well you also have to figure in that teachers are only on a 10 or 11 month contract. That is a double edge sword and cuts both ways.
Reply to this
I attended the board meeting tonight. Everyone keeps blaming the union(s) for fighting the 5% cut. The school board approved whatever Oscar recommended or what was in their meeting packets without asking questions. They, not the teachers, are responsible for this financial situation the district is in. To make things perfectly clear, if you attended the meeting tonight as I did, you will find that the 5% salary cuts will not save jobs. Dyal's presentation looks bleak and anticipate additional cuts next school year. FYI-the 5% salary cuts were to fix this year's budget and had nothing to do with next year's budget. I believe the district planned on cutting positions whether the unions agreed to the salary cuts or not because they got the money anyways and are still cutting positions. If more people attended the school board meetings, they would be better informed. I am not a teacher, just a concerned taxpayer!
Reply to this
Your are funny. I was also at this meeting that you speak of, and not once during the whole meeting was 5% brought up so don't say it was. It was brought up during Mr. Dyal's presentation that there "MIGHT" be more cuts, or there could be some positions coming back, depending on how much of the budget is going to the salaries of the teachers. These numbers are not completely done!
-These cuts have to happen. Look at the school district like a business. If you work for a company and that company can not pay you because times are tough, what happens? Thats right, people get laid off. So stop whining and just face the facts that our economy is in a recession right now and there is not and I will quote Mr. Dyal from his presentation today, "not enough sales tax or property tax revenue" to have the kind of funding we did 2 years ago. If you have a better way to get the money in order to pay all these positions, please do everyone a huge favor and instead of sitting the your chair the whole time during the meeting, get up and say something. Because unless you are Mr. Tirelli, you did not get up and say one thing about the cuts or the "saving of jobs", so are you Mr. Tirelli? But if you have no better advice than to come on TCT and rant about almost nothing, really nothing you said in your post is something that hasn't already been said like 50 times.
And I love this so I am going to quote you Mr. concerned taxpayer:
"The school board approved whatever Oscar recommended or what was in their meeting packets without asking questions. They, not the teachers, are responsible for this financial situation the district is in."
No one ever said the teachers were the reason for the financial situation, where did this come from. And from what I can gather, the school board gets there packets in advance to the meetings in order to familiarize themselves with it and in order to do any type of research they want. Do they? I do not know and will not speak for them. Go ask them yourself, or research some on your own and then ask them questions, kinda a way to check and balance them since you are so worried about it.
Another quote that I love:
"Dyal's presentation looks bleak and anticipate additional cuts next school year."
Did you not listen to his whole presentation or read the handout that was available to the public with his presentation on it, in his presentation he stated that the cuts were to be expected, not by him, but by the FSA, and the FSBA (I believe this is the correct abbr., if I am wrong please someone correct me, it is the Florida Superintendents Association, and the Florida School Board Association). They have advised all school districts to told back up to 5% or at lease 3% in case there is cuts throughout next year in the budget, and THERE WILL BE. This is not the 5 members of the school boards fault, this is not Paul Dyal's fault. This is because of one key word that everyone is using these days, the ECONOMY!...
-God Bless Taylor County!
Reply to this
Guess What? The board doesn't read their packets before hand. Like you said, "Go to a meeting and you will find this out". They open it right before the meeting even though they get it maybe 1-2 weeks before the meeting. Not sure on that so don't quote me. They will pass things without checking them out and then the next day, they don't remember passing it. People have questioned them but they don't have an answer, I will get back to you, never works. They never call you back. Good luck to the teachers and staff of the Taylor County School System. You are going to need it. A new board is needed with people who will research, they will visit the schools and talk to employees in private,and just be available to talk to if they come to a school. When was the last time you saw one there other than at a function? Right never, not even to visit during the day to see how things are going.
Reply to this
Granny, you may want to check your facts before you spout off, I know one board member here in town that has a business and he is very accessable to the public, I have seen him at schools during the day, he along with Ms. Carlton attend most if not all functions, I have asked him questions and he has gotten back to me in prompt time. He does study his packet, and ask the questions before hand. So before you spout off, check your facts.
Reply to this
I am not spouting off before I know my facts. Danny Lundy and Darrel Whiddon have been caught not knowing what they have agreed to pass. They didn't read their packets to know what was on the agenda. I do agree that Mrs. Carlton does attend most all school functions. Who have you see at the schools? I haven't seen any unless it is for a meeting. Before you spout off check your facts. Mine are correct.
Reply to this
I have to agree somewhat with Granny here; some board members don't thoroughly read their packets. I've known of specific instances where constituents have questioned members about some of their votes, and the members have acknowledged not having been aware that they approved of something as part of the consent agenda.
This certainly doesn't mean that all members are guilty of doing this all the time, but it has been known to happen.
Reply to this
I will have to agree with you a little here also. There might be "some" board members not doing this. But when people come on here and chastise the entire board, there is no need in that. I gaurantee that a majority of the board and when I say majority I mean 4/5 members do read there packets and do know what is going on.
If people of Taylor County want to see this being done different then either stand up in the meeting and call them out on it (yes you can do this), or run for office yourself, if you are so concerned about the board and the things that there are doing wrong, then do something to change it and don't just come on here and always chastise.
-God Bless Taylor County!
Reply to this
No, the financial mess isn't the teachers' fault. But neither is it the fault of non-instructional employees or most administrators--yet they all took the pay cut. This includes Dyal, who wasn't superintendent when the mess was created.
As unfair as it may seem, everyone has to pay the price. Fighting it accomplishes nothing but to drain the district of precious time and money.
Reply to this
To: IgnorantPeopleAnnoyMe. LOL!!! You must get annoyed every time you look in the mirror. I wonder why Oscar Howard did not show up to get his "retirement plaque" from the board he served so "righteously" for the past 12 years. He probably thought he would have been tarred and feathered. You must be one of those individuals who benefitted from Oscarlot. (LOL) Love to get your dander up. Have a wonderful day.
Reply to this
Dude, are you really that ignorant? I never said one thing that would even suggest that I benefited from what you called "Oscarlot" (by the way you misspelled benefited). And there was over half of the staff that did not show up to receive their plaque, I wonder what their reason was. Who cares if he showed up or not, hes not the super anymore... Stop being an idiot and wake up. Get a life. And Shut Up!!!
-God Bless Taylor County!
Reply to this
LOL!!!!
Reply to this
Great Comeback!
Reply to this
Hey Ignorant, you did not put an apostrophe in he's, the actual contraction for HE IS.
Reply to this