CUSD's 40 year history with certificated staff can be summed up in one word: nothing. Unlike some other local districts, CUSD has never offered a salary increase, but only reluctantly made wage concessions after the threat of job actions. They have manufactured financial crises to demand concessions, and imposed surreptitious pay cuts in the form of cost shifting medical expenses to their employees.
With a better financial picture on the horizon and nearly $20 million in reserves, they have the opportunity to change that behavior. Sadly, they appear determined to avoid a positive relationship with certificated staff at all cost. The continued impasse for 2012-13 negotiations and the bargaining sessions for next year's contract on March 15 and 28 make this all too evident.
Medical benefits have gone from bad to worse. The District's representative to the JPA voted with administrators from other districts to increase maximum out of pocket expenses from $3,000 a year to $4,500 per family. Simply put, if you and your family are forced to utilize our health insurance, you just took a $1,500 a year pay cut. To mitigate the effect of this, your bargaining team has proposed that CUTA members and retirees return to the Silver Plan next year.
For Article 6, CUTA proposed eliminating everything which prevents teachers from devoting 100% to classroom instruction. Our proposal included:
* The elimination of the four district wide collaboration days.
* The elimination of the staff development day before the beginning of school.
* Elementary supervision duties, as well as request.
* Elementary prep time be equivalent to that of teachers in secondary schools.
The District's proposed changes to Article 6 remain the same as last year. They wish to increase the elementary student day in order to have parent conference days which will not require substitutes. Elementary teachers would teach longer so that they can meet with parents, for no additional compensation.
CUSD remains committed to their proposal of last year that would require teachers to remain on campus for seven and a half hours a day, regardless of the student day. At the bargaining table they have suggested that teachers could use this time to prep or collaborate.
Without a state budget, CUSD was not willing to commit in any form to changes to the salary schedule. Bob Feaster said that the School Board would first look at reinstatement of various programs before considering employee compensation.
Finally, it doesn't appear that CUTA members will be receiving any more monies recouped from MAA. When the topic came up, Bob Feaster coyly mentioned that he would have to see when the last signed agreement was bargained. The fact is, there is no agreement because, after more than a year of bargaining, we have yet to settle for 2012-13 which included MAA language. Unless a retroactive agreement is reached, CUSD has no obligation to pay you for your participation in the MAA program.
Thank you