Current Teacher Contract Negotiations Update
Below is a copy of a letter from TEA President sent to teachers regarding current contract negotiations. This was emailed to me last night. I had to change the format so that it could be pasted. The original look of the letter is not displayed, but the content is the same; I think you can still follow it. If you would like the original Word copy sent to you, email me and I will forward it.
From:
Bob TirelliSent:
Wednesday, October 14, 2009 8:48 AMTo:
(Teachers names removed)Subject:
Negotiations UpdateMy Fellow Colleagues,
Here is an update on the contract negotiations for the current school year. Almost
all the items mentioned in the attachment are things that the District Negotiating
team have asked to have deleted from our collective bargaining agreement. TEA
proposals will appear in the next edition. Read and enjoy.
Bob Tirelli
President - TEA
NOTICE: Florida has a broad public records law.
Most written communications to or from this entity
are public records that will be disclosed to the public
and the media upon request.
E-mail communications may be subject to public disclosure.
To: Taylor County School District Teachers
From: Bob Tirelli, TEA President
Date: October 14, 2009
Re: TEA/TCSD Negotiation Update
Since the last update, Taylor Education Association Negotiation team and the Taylor
County School District Negotiation team have met 5 additional times.
Here is the synopsis:
·
August 5o
We dotted the “i’s” and crossed the “t’s” in preparation for theratification vote settling last year’s contract dispute.
o
We were given iron-clad guarantees by chief negotiator for TCSD, AngelaBall, that the step from the 2008-2009 school year would be reset for the
first paycheck in the current school year. OOPS!
·
September 2o
We met to exchange full contract proposals. Paul Burdette, ExecutiveDirector of Big Bend Service Unit, offered to present the TEA full contract
proposal. TCSD wasn’t ready to give a full proposal because Ms. Ball had
not met with the board and thus wasn’t prepared to follow through with
the contract exchange. Ms. Ball stated that her understanding was that
we were only verifying the changes in 2008-2009 contract in order to
have an original contract to work from. Our bargaining record shows
that this was not the understanding when we left the August 5 meeting.
o
Angela Ball reconfirmed that the step from the 2008-2009 school yearwould be reset for our September paycheck. This was contradicted by
Chief Financial Officer and TCSD negotiating team member, Vicki
McManus. OOPS!
·
September 8o
An electronic copy of the 2006-2009 contract with 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 changes was sent to Angela Ball.
·
September 9o
Your TEA negotiation members met to review our contract proposal.·
September 14o
An electronic exchange of the contract proposal from TEA and TCSD wasmade.
·
September 23o
TEA and TCSD negotiating teams met for two hours. TEA presented amerged document of changes from both parties in order to expedite our
negotiations and discuss the differences.
o
We reviewed the first twelve articles in the TEA/TCSD contract mergeddocument
o
Agreement was quickly reached on the Preamble.o
All of TCSD (School Board) proposals are contract “take-aways.” Somelow-lights were
§
TEA (The Union) can’t use any equipment in the schools, even if theUnion pays for material and supplies. ARTICLE III Section D
§
All teachers are stripped of their full rights of citizenship. ARTICLEIII Section G
§
The School Board can discriminate based on race, creed, color,origin, age, sex, handicap or marital status. ARTICLE III Section H
§
The Union can no longer bring agenda items before the SchoolBoard. ARTICLE III Section I
§
The Union can no longer visit school sites to investigate employeecomplaints or conditions. ARTICLE III Section M
§
The School Board no longer seeks to consult with the Union oneducational issues. ARTICLE III Section O
§
All Union e-mails are to be pre-approved by the Principal beforebeing sent. Big Brother is watching! ARTICLE III Section P
§
The School Board wants to revise comp time provisions – detailsyet to be provided by the Board. ARTICLE V
§
Faculty meetings will be longer and more often. ARTICLE VSection H
§
Lead Teachers/Team Leaders shall have their release time cut inhalf. Department/Grade level/Chairpersons/will have it
eliminated altogether. ARTICLE V Section K
§
Teachers will be required to work in unsafe and hazardousconditions. ARTICLE V Section Q
§
Automatic pay steps will be eliminated. ARTICLE VI Number 11§
Teacher evaluations will be totally revamped – School Boardstated that details are to follow. ARTICLE VI
§
Teacher authority and protection will be revised – the SchoolBoard will provide details at a later date. The ARTICLE VII Sections
A & B
§
Eliminate teacher’s ability to exclude an incorrigible student fromclass. ARTICLE VIII Section E
§
The School Board will no longer communicate with students,employees and the public regarding the procedures for suspension
and expulsion. ARTICLE VIII Section F
§
Extended leave will not be granted for alternative employment.ARTICLE IX Section G
§
If Teachers are injured by students or parents they will receive nopay. Teachers will be required to use their sick leave. ARTICLE X
Section C
§
Union members may not use TDE for attending Union sponsorededucational conferences. ARTICLE X Section D Number E.2.
§
Teachers will be expected to assume the responsibilities of anabsent employee. ARTICLE XI Section C
§
While teaching Summer School or Evening classes, teachers willnot be permitted to use sick leave. ARTICLE XI Section J
§
The Superintendent wishes to take over the sick leave bankcommittee’s investigative powers for sick leave bank abuse.
ARTICLE XI Section K.6
§
The School Board wants to eliminate their involvement in thegrievance process thus forcing either the Union or individual
teachers to pay for arbitration. They also want the losing party to
pay all attorney fees and costs. ARTICLE XII Section B.3
SEPTEMBER 30
o
TEA and TCSD negotiating teams met to review the remainder of thecontract.
§
The Union can strike and the School Board can participate directlyand indirectly in unfair labor practices (figure out which half is
true!?!) ARTICLE XIII
§
Eliminate class size and class load restrictions. ARTICLE XX§
El Presidente Act: The TEA President will no longer be paid for hisadvanced degree (Juris Doctor). Nor will anyone else who holds an
advanced degree receive pay for that degree if it is not related to their
field of instruction. ARTICLE XXI Section A
§
The School Board proposes to eliminate as paid holidays December 24and the Friday after Thanksgiving. ARTICLE XXII
§
The School Board wants to reduce the value of Terminal Pay benefitsawarded to instructional personnel upon retirement.
ARTICLE XXVII
§
The School Board will only post the TEA/TCSD Contract on-line andwill not print it….and furthermore will not allow the Union to
purchase copies (and who knows when they will have to put it on the
web site!).
NEXT WEEK…THE REST OF THE STORY,
Some of these make sense. Others are hard to comment on without knowing the rationale. I'm sure the district's leadership has a reason for every one of their proposed changes. Sadly, they haven't communicated those reasons with the rank and file.
If I were running the district, I'd let everyone know the logic behind each proposed change in an effort to win support. I certainly wouldn't allow the union to be the sole communicator in the negotiation process.
But I'm sure this is how things have always been done, and Heaven forbid they should change.
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All of this is great I am sure. What I would like to see from TEA is a plan from our teachers that will move our District forward. All this sounds selfish. Our schools are not meeting AYP, our children are graduating with honors and can't pass the ACT with high enough scores to receive Bright Future Scholarships. If this were a private business many teachers, staff and administrators would be terminated due to lack of progress. I know if I ran my business this way it would close. All of us want more pay and better benefits for less hours worked. It's human nature.The teachers aren't the only ones sacrificing in this economy, I personally haven't had a raise in 3 years. I am however, very grateful to be employed. Our State just hit the highest unemployeement in over 30 years. I am grateful to all teachers and do not think this union speaks for them all. How about teachers, union and administrators putting our children first for a change?
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If you are negotiating in "good faith" why would you post this dribble...on a blog. Historically teachers have used the school board email lists and system. As a tax-payer I think the posting of this stuff on a blog violates any trust and good intention of the parties negotiating. It makes the teachers and union look foolish and greedy...as usual. Does the union always have to pick the biggest wingnuts of the bunch to represent the instructional staff of the district?
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This isn't something that needs to be on this website. The letter wasn't addressed to the general public, it was addressed to teachers...The teacher who leaked this should be fired! The website is sticking its nose in where it doesn't belong.
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First, when the union sent the message to teachers via the school district's e-mail system it became public record.
Second, why wouldn't the negotiating process be something to be discussed here? It involves our tax dollars and our elected officials. Let's let the sun shine on the whole thing.
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Having read the comments from the TEA President it appears that the terminology used is nothing more than an attempt to utilize the power of the pen to excite anger within the ranks of union members. I find it hard to believe that the school district would attempt to impose some of the specifics raise in the TEA letter. I personally know many of our teachers and they deserve someone at the bargining table capable of communicating to union members factual representations rather than using scare tactics. This is not Chicage, its Taylor County.
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The listing of tis contract items, could be construed by most as unfair labor practise by the union, the leader of the TEA president must be off his rocker, most believe so.
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OMG! I can't believe this information is even on this blog. Union negotiations are and should be private which is why the TCSB goes into executive session to discuss matters of this type. TEA prez, what were you thinking sending out such garbage. You have gone beyond transparency. Whatever leverage (if any) you may have had, you have just lost it. Your credibility is questionable. I hope in the future you represent the teachers better than this!
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Why should they be done in private? Shouldn't teachers--and taxpayers--be privy to what's going on?
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I guess that is a question for the FL legislature since its part of the law. I believe the negotiations process between the two parties is open to the public but executive sessions (the board members discussion regarding negotiations) is not. Go figure...
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TCC and TCC2-are you suggesting that unions are counter-productive to the employees and employers should be able to treat their employees any old way they want?
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No what I am saying it is unethical to announce publically false terms of aggreement in the public just to get employees riled up, alot of the things said are federal law, the district cannot do those things and the TEA president knows it, unless he is a total idiot.
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I agree with your comment.
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Total "idiot" is giving too much credit. These union reps in the school system have carried on this way for years. They all conduct union business on school board time, stealing time, and blame others. The former super used these tactics when he was under Super Gardiner, working against the district and the sitting Super. Albeit that that Dyal and company do themselves no favors, the union always works issues that only apply to a few. In light of the financial shape of the district, the teachers should be happy to have a job. They also never mentiion that the contract for the most part covers people who work 10 months out of the year. In the current economy, the wages are not bad for 10 months of work. Fill your pie-hole with crow union reps and apologize for posting all this on the school board email and this blog. Yes, you are in it for the kids! Greedy self-serving oafs.
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Absurd, do you feel the same about the non-instructional union?
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The non-instructional don't seem to have as many issues as the TEA person that in charge, he seems to want to stir the soup as some say.
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I have to agree, I am not in the union, and do not want to be, but I must say it was very childish of the union president to air the negotations in the public, very unproffessional, but if you know him (I work at the same school as he) you would not expect any less of him
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Absurb, you are right, the district has done their job by getting budget back in order, Dyal has come in and staightened out the mess, the teachers should swallow their pride and play on the same team. As for the TEA president, he may need to just pack up and leave, he is nuts to put this out in the public, before the negotiations are finished.
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I think this will cause the union to lose public support. It sounds like they are a majority of the problem. Everyone has to assume a portion of responsibility and it appears the union is a major shareholder. Taylor County hired Dyal to do a job, first of which was to get the finances back in order. Argue the path taken if you wish but the outcome is working. It took 5 plus years to get us in this shape and in 9 short month it is quickly moving in the right direction. In business you can improve the bottom line 2 ways, increase revenue or cut expenses. I think Dyal has balanced that as well as possible. I know everyone is not happy but the goal is being accomplished.
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Most common sense statement yet.
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wait and see the reaction this causes around the state.
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