Bargaining Update

​Hi Folks,
Your CUTA Bargaining Team met with the District yesterday.  While we are not yet finished and will meet again this coming Tuesday, the teams did agree on several issues.  You are not going to like the first one, nor do we.  It was a compromise we were willing to make.  You have the absolute right to disagree with us and vote this down.   
Items agreed to so far either in writing or in general concept with further details being worked on are for Stage 1 on-line learning.   I spoke with Jim Hanlon this morning.  We should be sending out exact language of everything agreed to so far, as well as items still being discussed, some time this Monday. 

• Three hours of the teacher’s work day will be provided on-site.  The District will determine when those three hours are delivered within the pre-COVID workday for that site.  Example: Chico High teachers pre-Covid workday was 7:45-3:10. Your 3-hour block on site will fall with-in that time frame.  For most members, this would be the first 3 hours of the day, though special education, Title 1, ELD, counselors and others might be scheduled at later times within the workday. The 3 hours must be contiguous; the District can't give you a "split shift".  

Your CUTA Bargaining Team’s rationale:  We had to choose between a compromise or playing hardball, as will you when this all comes to you for a vote.  The hardball option: stick to our position that teachers will be given the choice to work from home or school as we did in the spring.  If the District sticks to their position and there is no agreement when school starts August 17, existing contract language prevails and all educators are on campus for the entire day.  I’m not sure if they could contractually force you to use Edgenuity at the secondary level as that is an independent study program and members can not be involuntarily transferred or reassigned into an “alternative program”.  I imagine they could require you to teach your lessons in some form accessible to the students within your workday.  I’m unclear how that would work.  My guess is both sides would be breaking out the lawyers.  On the other hand, the District may “blink first”, see it from our point of view, and let teachers choose to work from home or school.  If we take this course, I imagine that they will not be as willing to agree to other parts of the MOU that we like (that I’m sure they are not crazy about).  With school this close and the chaos playing hardball may cause for all, we chose the compromise.  You do not have to and can vote no when we have finished the entire MOU. 
 

• The Elementary day is the 180 minutes on site doing (I can’t describe it here, but that info will come out very soon) plus 60 minutes of (I can’t describe it here, but that info will come out very soon).  The remainder of your work day is prep time.  The 60 minutes and the prep time may be completed where the member chooses 
• The Secondary day is five 30 minute on-line “periods” (I can’t describe it here, but that info will come out very soon) plus one 30 minute prep “period” during your 180 minutes on-site plus an additional 130 minutes of (I can’t describe it here, but that info will come out very soon) delivered from home or school during your “normal” workday. 
• The District is working on providing childcare options for members (details still being worked out) 
• Members will receive paid leave and not be docked sick leave if they can not work due to COVID illness (details still being worked out) 
• Members who must be quarantined will be reassigned in a way that they can work from home so as not to be docked sick leave (details still being worked out) 

Again, there is a multitude of other details I am not including.  We started with a 21 page safety document that CTA proposed in Marin County and have been editing it to fit our needs.  You should get that Monday to look at as we continue negotiations.  We meet with the District again this coming Tuesday.  


I am aware you will have many questions.  Would you please wait until the proposed MOU language comes out on Monday?  


Take Care,
Kevin



Kevin Moretti
CUTA Chapter President
530-343-0226/530-828-9803