CUTA and CUSD negotiating teams have not met since March.  The delay has given both sides the opportunity to analyze the serious financial burden that the changes to the Red Plan for benefits will have on teachers.  In addition to radical increases in out of pocket costs, the JPA also eliminated the Red Plan for eligible retirees, forcing each to the costly Blue option.  We anticipate returning to the table shortly after the close of the testing window and look for (perhaps foolishly) a proposal from CUSD that will fairly compensate unit members for the difference between the benefits plan contracted and the one now implemented.  In 2010, CUTA members absorbed a similar reduction in benefits and CUSD budgeted over $300,000 to mitigate the consequences.  CUTA willingly offered to relinquish our right to that substantial sum as part of our October agreement.  In doing so, additional furlough days for students were averted while teachers accepted the additional financial burden.  For decades CUTA has forgone larger. Perhaps fairer wage increases in exchange for a more reliable benefits package.  To have those benefits decimated now is unacceptable. Considering the healthy and robust state of the current district bottom line, we must hope CUSD sees clear to deliver benefits fairly as per contract.  We shall see.

In this break in bargaining, the issue of athletic funding has taken a prominent role amongst teachers and the community.  Our local boosters, parents, and volunteers have admirably and unnecessarily bore the brunt of athletic expenses in recent years.  In fleecing our community members, the district in turn has amassed large ending balances while failing to fund athletics appropriately.  Understandably, the boosters are fed up and have asked CUSD to support athletics to a greater extent.  In response, the board has instead relied on the tried and untrue strategy of pushing ever faulty projections onto the volunteers, refused to consider funding sports at a level proportionate to their bursting coffers, and threatened to eliminate athletics altogether.  True to form, CUSD has laid the blame for this absurdity on CUTA.  Coaches met recently and have taken the brave stance of standing strong behind our contract and educating the public as to how CUSD is again manipulating its community and wrongfully vilifying teachers and coaches in the process.  The Bargaining Team supports the efforts of coaches and would like to remind the membership that the district proposed our most recent three-year agreement without mention of coaching stipends and eagerly ratified the contract.  Teachers and the community are more than justified in expecting CUSD to deliver on its contractual promises.

ADDITION:  Since this update was first released to Rep Council on April 28th, CUSD has requested CUTA join with them in mutually opening the coach's stipend portion of the contract.  Please find attached CUTA Bargaining's refusal to do so.