Monday, October 31, 2011

Isn't it time to talk about the contract?

Did you know our union contracts expire June 30, 2012? Educators for a Democratic Union (a caucus of UESF), believes it's past time for UESF classified and certificated members to engage in the discussion now!
• What's important to you in our next contract?
• Talk to your co-workers and come to our next general meeting

Some priorities EDU members have discussed for our upcoming contract are:
• No more furlough days; re-instate the four furlough days we lost
• No class size increases; firm up contract language and set hard limits on class size
• Significant wage increases for classified members whose pay and hours are well below a living wage.
• Increased District contribution to the health care costs of members with dependents
•UESF consultation with SFUSD prior to implementation of assessments/tests or introduction of new tools: PALS, MAP/CLA, School Loop, Data Director, etc.
• No evaluations based on standardized tests
• No merit pay

We will hear that these demands are unrealistic in these economic times and that we need to do what's best for the students. However, the money is there:
• California is the eighth largest economy in the world
• Over half of California corporations pay no taxes
• SF has more than $30 million of uncollected business taxes

We need to begin to strategize within UESF. EDU invites you to get involved now!

This fall teachers in Tacoma, Washington faced 1.9% pay cuts, class size increases and a teacher evaluation system that would bypass seniority. Tacoma educators rejected this and organized a 10-day strike that defied the will of the school district and state court injunctions. And they won: they stopped the pay cuts, maintained class size limits and won full paychecks despite the missed work.

Can San Francisco educators win the contract we deserve? We can...
...if we begin the patient work of building solidarity at our schools and in the community.
...if we educate and prepare for unified action at our sites, including work-to-rule and possibly a strike.