Hello colleagues,

Your CUTA bargaining team and the District met for negotiations on Thursday, May 10, to begin discussing issues for next year. We covered a wide range of issues, with most of the time being spent on the potential scheduling changes for RSP and SDC secondary teachers and on the finer points of the MOU for independent study programs at secondary sites.
 
Scheduling Changes for RSP/SDC Teachers
Last year, a group of secondary SDC teachers approached CUTA to share their concerns about the increasing challenges they faced in their job. CUTA and the District worked with the SDC secondary teachers to put together a list of challenges and possible solutions. Despite a lot of time and thought, we were unable to find solutions that appealed to the majority of the SDC teachers who were in contact with CUTA.
 
We felt stuck and unsure of how to proceed. The District, separate from CUTA input, decided that one solution would be to utilize current, existing resources available at the secondary level to mitigate the challenges faced by the SDC secondary teachers. One current, existing resource that the District identified was the assessment period, sometimes called the case management period, that is a part of RSP secondary teachers’ schedules. Secondary RSP teachers currently teach four classes, have a class prep period, and have an assessment/case management period. Secondary SDC teachers teach five classes and have a class prep period.
 
The District feels that the secondary RSP assessment/case management period is problematic in two ways:

1. They believe that it creates a disparity between RSP and SDC jobs
2. They believe that there is a district-wide perception of inequity created by the RSP assessment/case management period, which leads to teachers wanting to leave SDC positions for RSP positions

 
The special education teams at PV and Chico High, and specifically the RSP and SDC teachers at those sites, were presented with the District’s concerns and asked to come up with a solution. Diane Olsen, Director of Student Services, came to the negotiations session on Thursday to share what has come thus far from this process. At this time, the teams at PV and Chico High are still working to come up with solutions that may or may not include sharing the assessment/case management periods between RSP and SDC teachers. There are a number of options being looked at, and Jim Hanlon emphasized that the District would much prefer a teacher-generated solution.
 
The assessment/case management period is not in our contract, but it has been District practice for as long as thirty years, so CUTA would have a case to argue that it represents past practice. We represent the interests of all of our members, and we don’t believe that solving a problem for one group of members at the expense of another group is the best option.
 
We are going to wait and see the results that the special education groups come up with at PV and Chico, and we will revisit this very important issue at our last negotiations session this year on May 31.
 
Independent Study MOU
Chico Unified has expanded its independent study options for our students in recent years, and we are currently operating under an MOU that dictates the caseloads for these programs. We have had the teachers working in these programs visit negotiations sessions to explore how the current caseloads are working. We have made adjustments to the caseloads for the traditional independent study program, and we are continuing to examine the caseloads for online independent study. We also heard from one of the teachers handling short term independent study for students at Bidwell and Marsh who miss 5-15 days during the school year. We plan to finalize an MOU for 2018-2019 at the final negotiations session.
 
All-day K MOU--65 minute prep sessions
We shared concerns we had with the District about how the 10 half-sessions (65 minutes each) would be delivered at all-day K sites. Some K teachers were alarmed, because they were under the impression that these sessions might be increased in number but halved in length to 30 or 35 minutes. The District assured us that unless K teachers at specific sites asked for this change, the 10 half-sessions would be delivered by prep time specialists in 65 minutes periods.
 
AB 119
We explored adding language to the contract relating to Assembly Bill 119, which entitles CUTA to a variety of information about our members and specifies timelines for when and in what format this information will be delivered. AB 119 also gives CUTA the right to attend all new employee onboarding meetings. We are exploring what this would look like with the District.
 
Language covering CUTA members at charter schools
As a future topic for discussion, we shared our concern that our members employed at charter schools--for instance speech therapists and RSP teachers whose time is purchased from CUSD by charter schools--don’t appear to have the same contractual protections at those sites. This is a complicated issue which we will be looking at further in 2018-2019.
 
Return rights
We also spent more time discussing return rights for members who go out on leave. Specifically, we are negotiating whether or not a member has a right to return to their site and/or exact position after a leave of absence. There are various types of leave, and we need to identify which leaves have return rights and which do not, if any. We also need to determine how the length of leave impacts return rights.
 
Thank you for support during a very positive year of negotiations. We will continue to keep you up to date with the progress of future negotiations.
 
Thank you for taking the time to stay informed.
 
Charlie Snyder
Bargaining Chair
Chico Unified Teachers Association

Hello colleagues,
 
On Wednesday, April 25, your CUTA bargaining met with the District for continued negotiations. This session was different, because we received a refresher training on the interest based bargaining process.
 
Some of you will remember that three years ago, CUTA and CUSD agreed to change from traditional bargaining, sometimes called positional bargaining, to interest based bargaining (IBB). Those of you that have worked in Chico Unified for more than a few years will remember how confrontational our former bargaining relationship was with the District. When we nearly went out on strike three years ago, both sides felt something needed to change, and one of our School Board members suggested we try IBB. Chico Unified had experimented with IBB in the nineties without much success, but CUTA and CUSD were willing to try it again. The results have been very good.
 
Interest based bargaining works when both sides are willing to be open and transparent about their concerns. On any given issue, small or large, both sides develop a list of interests. Generally, we find that we share many of the same interests. We then go through a non-judgmental brainstorming session where we try to come up with many different options for achieving compromise on the issue at hand. We then work hard to clarify and understand the import of the various options. After we have gathered as much information as we can on our various options, we work to achieve consensus through the unanimous agreement of all members on both bargaining teams. Sometimes this process can be very slow, but it has allowed us to be much more open and honest with each other, and IBB is what made this year’s TA possible.
 
Our refresher course on Wednesday was designed to keep us on the right track and provide training for some of the newer members of the bargaining team. We spent the morning reviewing the process and procedures of IBB, and we spent the afternoon practicing IBB on a real issue: return rights. Specifically, we are negotiating whether or not a member has a right to return to their site and/or exact position after a leave of absence. There are various types of leave, and we need to identify which leaves have return rights and which do not, if any. We also need to determine how the length of leave impacts return rights.
 
Other issues we will be discussing in our final two negotiations sessions of the year include, but are not limited to:

• ​Independent study caseloads
• Scheduling changes for secondary RSP teachers
• PD for special education on DWSD
• Classroom coverage for teachers for IEP's during the school day

​Lastly, I want to encourage you to sign up for income protection through the Standard, if you have not already done so. The practice of being able to solicit for donations of sick leave is against IRS rules, and the District will no longer allow the practice. A member could find him or herself in serious financial trouble without this safety net. The District has agreed to continue the current practice of donated sick leave through September 30, which allows members the opportunity to join the Standard during open enrollment, which runs from September 1 through September 30. Much more information about the Standard will be coming from CUTA.
 
Thank you for taking the time to stay informed.
 
Charlie Snyder
Bargaining Chair
Chico Unified Teachers Association

Hello colleagues,
 
We have continued negotiations with the District as we look towards next year. Our interest based bargaining process has allowed us to explore issues throughout the contract, and we have also opened Article 10: Leave for 2018-2019.
 
The first topic we covered on Thursday was return rights. We are exploring contract language that describes how long a member can be on different kinds of leave and still be entitled to return to the same position and assignment. For example, if a person went on medical leave for an entire school year, should they be entitled to their same position and assignment upon return? What if the leave bridged school years? We are gathering information now, and we will continue this discussion in two weeks.
 
We also spent time discussing the District practice of asking for volunteers and/or selecting members to attend elementary professional development during the school day. Teachers are expected to prepare half-day sub plans, and they may or may not have the choice of whether to attend or not. Since this is a relatively new practice, we have agreed to review this topic as issues arise.
 
We again brought up the issue of job sharing at elementary schools. Usually, members want to job share so that they can spend more time with their own children when their children are young. Unfortunately, the District does not want to award elementary job shares at this time. They feel that elementary job shares can result in an inferior educational product, and they have had numerous parents express the desire for their children to not be in a job share classroom. We are still searching for a model that would allay the District’s concerns, but we have not made progress.
 
In addition, we spent time discussing a potential new schedule for secondary RSP teachers at the high schools for next year. We don’t have all of the information yet, but it appears that the District will be removing the assessment/case management prep period from the schedule of secondary RSP teachers and instead asking them to teach in some capacity during that period. Diane Olsen will attend our May 10 negotiations session to explain the new scheduling. We are examining the issue, but until we have a firm grasp on what is being asked of the secondary RSP teachers, we don’t know whether this is a bargainable issue.
 
We also worked on a number of MOUs for 2018-2019, some of which are continuing on from this year. The MOUs include (but are not limited to):

• Class Size MOU: secondary class size is capped at 38, and teachers can voluntarily go over their caseload of 175 and be paid $500 per student, per semester for each student over 175; elementary teachers who are selected involuntarily to go one student over their class size will also receive $500 per semester
• Oak Bridge Online School MOU: this MOU details the hours and caseload for teachers at the new online school that the District is opening in a location at the mall
• K ½ Day MOU: this MOU will say that a K ½ day for purposes of prep or PN/sick days will match the actual time of day as the 1st grade ½ day; these times vary from site to site; if a 1st grade morning ½ day ends at 10:50 am, the K morning ½ day will end at the same time at that site; if a 1st grade afternoon ½ day starts at 11:00 am, the K afternoon ½ day at that site will also begin at 11:00 am; this is to take into account the (roughly) hour long professional work time built into extended day and all-day K schedules; if this doesn’t work at your site, consider a waiver
• Independent Study MOU: we are still finalizing the details of this MOU; the District listened to its teachers and adjusted the caseload and student definitions for traditional independent study, and we will be working out the final details for the online independent study
•  at a future session so that this MOU can continue for 2018-2019

 
Lastly, the District has been informed that the current donated sick leave practice is running afoul of IRS laws. Our lawyer has confirmed this, and we are going to have come up with a new approach. As of now, we don’t have a good idea for how to replace this program. This is potentially dangerous for members. If you were unable to work for an extended period of time and ran out of sick days, you would not be paid.
 
One option is to join the Standard, which is an income protection insurance program of which many of us are currently members. The next open enrollment for the Standard runs from September 1-30, and the District has agreed to extend the donated sick leave program until September 30, which would give members the time to join the Standard and get guaranteed income protection. We will have a lot of information coming out about this program. Please consider buying income protection from the Standard. It ranges from roughly $27-$45/month depending on your income level.
 
Thank you for taking the time to stay informed.
 
Charlie Snyder
Bargaining Chair
Chico Unified Teachers Association

As you all hopefully know, last night the School Board approved our tentative agreement with the District. It was a very positive meeting and many members attended to thank the School Board in person. Tanner Johns’ student jazz band performed “September” by Earth, Wind, and Fire, and they were terrific.
 
The District now has 60 days to issue our retro checks, which will include:

• 2.46% increase to wages (back to July 1)
• 2.46% increase to the District health benefits contribution (about $320)
• One-time money ($638 prorated for FTE; a 0.5 FTE employee would receive half of the $638)
• 2.46% increase to any paid work you did for the District (stipends, hourly work, etc.)

After issuing the retro check, the salary schedule will be increased by 2.46% for the remaining pay periods of this year. The District health benefits contribution will also increase by 2.46% ($1119 per month, which is up from $1093).
 
Next year, our paycheck for August will be paid on this year’s salary schedule (including the 2.46% increase). In September, the District will look at the per ADA % increase (which is projected to be 5.91%), and they will increase the salary schedule and the health benefits contribution by the per ADA % increase. That means the health benefits contribution is projected to be $1186 per month. They will then issue a retro check for August to make up the difference. We will follow the same procedure the following school year.
 
In addition, next year, the transition to all-day K will begin. Schools currently on all-day K waivers will become permanent all-day K sites. These schools (Citrus, McManus, Chapman, Little Chico Creek and Rosedale) will receive the $1300 budget for one more year. The timeline for schools transitioning is listed below:
 
2018-2019: all current schools + Hooker Oak (6 schools)
2019-2020: all current schools + Emma Wilson and Sierra View (8 schools)
2020-2021: all current schools + Shasta and Parkview (10 schools)
2021-2022: all current schools + Marigold and Neal Dow (all 12 school)
 
CUTA and the District will be writing the contract language that reflects the MOU we developed with the District for all-day K. It is very important that K teachers contact us and let us know how the transition is proceeding so that we can address problems as they arise and make sure that the final contract language is as effective and complete as possible. The paragraph below describes the minimums the District has agreed to meet at all-day K sites.
 
All-day K will follow the extended day schedule and teachers will be responsible for 250 daily instructional minutes. Additional minutes that kindergarteners are at school will be covered by aides. All-day K classrooms will have 2.5 hours of aide time per day to be used in the K classroom. Teachers will receive a $1300 classroom budget for the first two years to supplement their classroom materials for the longer day. Kindergarten teachers will receive prep time comparable to a first grade teacher in terms of minutes: 18 half days for prep and 10 sessions (65 minutes) of prep time delivered by a prep time specialist.
 
Additionally, next year, many members will have new prep time protection. The language states that these members (including, but not limited to, counselors, nurses, SLPs, teacher librarians, elementary resource teachers, and Title I teachers) will receive prep time comparable to site colleagues without using a sub. If a member is unable to schedule prep time because of schedule constraints, he or she should talk to his or her administrator to fix the problem. If the administrator cannot fix the problem, the member needs to contact CUTA.
 
We are continuing negotiations currently. Topics we are discussing include, but are not limited to:

• Maternity leave/child bonding leave
• Elementary PD during the school day
• Independent study
• Caseloads
• New District off-campus online school working conditions
  
• Special education
•  titles in contract
• Return rights after a leave
• Donated sick leave
• PN days

 
It was a very productive year in negotiations. We plan to continue the positive relationship with the District. They have been generous, honest, and open partners in negotiations.
 
Thank you for taking the time to stay informed.
 
Charlie Snyder
Bargaining Chair
Chico Unified Teachers Association

The votes have been counted and the results are in. Thank you so much to all of you for your patience and understanding this last year as we went through this process as a union.

The results are:
Composite-416 votes (wins)                                     Tiered-99 votes
Pool-289 votes (wins)                                                 Pass-227 votes

My sincere gratitude to so many of you who worked so hard and spent so much time on all sides of this issue.
​
Take Care,
Kevin

After negotiations on Thursday, February 22, the CUTA bargaining team is very pleased to announce that we have agreed on all of the details for a tentative agreement with the District. The tentative agreement will be presented to E-Board on March 8, and with their approval, we will schedule a membership vote on the tentative agreement by the end of March.

The wage agreement follows the three-year model I have described in previous updates, and it includes the current school year. The projected wage increases are below. 

Percent Increase to Salary Schedule 
2017-2018 (this year)                           2018-2019                              2019-2020
2.46%                                                       5.91%                                       2.46% (projected COLA)
Total Salary Schedule Increase (approximate and compounded)  = 11.1%

These represent ongoing raises. The raise for this school year is 2.46%, and members will receive a retro check for this year representing the 2.46% raise and the 2.46% increase in the District contribution to health benefits. The salary schedule will be adjusted up by 2.46% for any remaining portion of the school year.

August of 2018 will be paid on the current year salary schedule, and during September, we will determine if any adjustment needs to be made to the 2.46% from this year. The District will adjust the salary schedule if needed, and will also increase the salary schedule by the 2018-2019 raise, which is projected to be 5.91%. The District will issue a retro check for August 2018, and the rest of the 2018-2019 school year will be paid on the increased salary schedule. We will follow the same procedure in August and September of 2019.

If the District experiences declining enrollment next year, they have the option to opt out of the third year of the agreement. If the District experiences increasing enrollment, CUTA captures 20% of any dollar increases associated with increased enrollment beyond the first 100 students. For example, if District enrollment increased 150 students, CUTA would capture 20% of all dollars associated with students 101-150.

The District health benefit contribution (currently $1093/month) will increase by the same percentages listed above. That means that next year the projected monthly contribution for health benefits from the District will be approximately $1185.

In addition, the District allocated about $500,000 in one-time money for CUTA compensation for this year. This money will be paid as a one-time, equal bonus to all CUTA members employed in 2017-2018, and it will be prorated for FTE, meaning a half-time employee would receive half of what a full time employee would receive. This one-time bonus payment is estimated to be $750 for a full-time employee.

The District listened to CUTA’s concerns throughout this process. CUTA argued that we were a shrinking portion of the overall budget, and we also argued that the District made all of their budget plans first and only considered employee compensation last. This generous wage increase is proof that the District is listening to its employees and cares about wage compensation. It wants Chico to remain a competitive school district. The CUTA bargaining offers its sincere gratitude to CUSD leadership for their honesty and transparency during negotiations.

We have also reached an agreement with the District on a process to transition all of our elementary schools to an all-day Kindergarten model. We have agreed on a set of minimum needs for all-day K, and we will spend next year writing the contract language.
​
The daily schedule for Kindergarten will continue to resemble the extended day schedule. All-day Kindergarten classes in the District will receive 2.5 hours of aide time per teacher, per day, to be used in the classroom. Upon switching to all-day K, each Kindergarten class will receive a $1300 classroom budget for the first two years to help build up supplies necessary for a longer day. Kindergarten teachers will receive more prep time than they have currently, so that their prep time is comparable to the prep time received by teachers in grades 1-3. Currently, Kindergarten teachers have 13 half-days for prep. This will increase to 18 half-days for prep, and they will also receive ten 65 minute sessions of prep time delivered by a prep time specialist. The Kindergarten instructional day (teacher/student time) will be 250 minutes.