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 2011-2012
| CUTA President: Kevin Moretti
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April 18, 2012
The CUTA Bargaining Team and the District last met for half a day on April 5. CUTA presented or proposed conceptual contract language regarding specific class size concerns, student to school nurse ratios, additional stipends, and benefits. CUTA continues to develop proposals relating to speech therapists, and counseling caseloads, but we have yet to bring a specific proposal to the table.
The District has yet to present any potential language or proposal regarding its opener, Hours (Article 6) nor anything regarding wages and benefits.
We currently have four days scheduled for bargaining: April 25, May 3, May 4, and May 7.
We are hopeful that the District will bring language addressing all of our prior concepts and proposals as well as the District's concerns regarding hours.
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March 28, 2012
The Bargaining Team and the District met on February 8, 21, 28 and March 13. They looked at all the recent MOUs including AERIES and MAA. They have also begun discusssions regarding current Extended K pilot language and the possible need for Transitional K language. Lastly, they also entered into discussion of class size and recognition issues.
Regarding AERIES and MAA, progress has been made toward language that would include each in the contract. The same can be said of Extended K, although all three could be held up if the team and the district are slow to reach a complete settlement.
The team has also begun discussion regarding class size concerns in special education, mainstreaming, counseling, nursing, and speech therapy. At this point, they have only touched the surface of this article and neither side has proposed any potential language.
Lastly, CUTA and CUSD spoke at length over some potential concerns with the nature of certain certified specialist (math coaches) and "coaching" positions (Language Star, ELD). As with class size, no proposals have been exchanged.
The teams are scheduled to meet April 5 for half a day. With so much to discuss, and at our current pace, it seems unlikely that we will conclude negotiations before the end of the school year.
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February 15, 2012
Our two teams met last Wednesday, February 8. We have two meetings scheduled for the February 21 and 28. We are looking at removing obsolete language as well as incorporating pilot language regarding all day Kindergarten and recurring MOUs (such as the one for MAA) into the contract.
CUTA is also interested in placing all current waivers, MOUs, TAs and the like online so that any and all of our members, as well as the public, can view them.
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January 18, 2012
The CUTA and CUSD bargaining teams will meet for half a day on January 24 to consider deleting obsolete language in the contract.
We are currently scheduled to jointly sunshine our proposal for 2012/2013 with CUSD at the February 15 School Board meeting. As per contract, bargaining for next year will begin no later than eight days after that.
I would like to repeat my monthly request that the School Board consider allowing CUTA into closed session for a short, candid conversation. This would allow the District to respond to our statements as well as provide School Board members an opportunity to ask questions or make comments without running into any "bargaining in public" issues. Perhaps this topic could be placed on the agenda for February's School Board meeting where it could be discussed by the Board.
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December 7, 2011
Bargaining surveys are due back from our members by Friday, December 16. The Bargaining team will evaluate the surveys and make a recommendation to the CUTA Executive Board. The Executive Board will then determine what our sunshine proposal will be at the regularly scheduled School Board meeting on February 15, 2012.
In the interim, we would like to invite CUSD to mutually open certain articles of the contract for the sole purpose of deleting obsolete language. For example, the contract contains language regarding drivers training. CUSD has not offered that for many years now. It does not seem to make sense to keep it in the contract.
I would like to repeat my request that the School Board consider allowing CUTA into closed session monthly for a short, candid conversation. This would allow the District to respond to our statements as well as provide School Board members an opportunity to ask questions or make comments without running into any "bargaining in public" issues. Perhaps this topic could be placed on the agenda for January's School Board meeting where it could be discussed by the Board.
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November 16, 2011
CUTA conducted a ratification vote regarding the tentative agreement signed with CUSD. It passed 345 yes to 19 no.
CUTA's bargaining team met today and developed our bargaining survey that will go to members Friday. We will use the results of the survey to determine what our sunshine proposal will be at the regularly scheduled school Board meeting February 15, 2012.
I would like to repeat my request that the School Board consider allowing CUTA into closed session monthly for a short, candid conversation. This would allow the District to respond to our statements as well as provide School Board members an opportunity to ask questions or make comments without running into any "bargaining in public" issues. Perhaps this topic could be placed on the agenda for December's School Board meeting where it could be discussed by the Board.
Sincerely,
Kevin Moretti
CUTA President
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September 21, 2011
The two bargaining teams met August 24. The District presented a counter proposal to CUTA's proposal of June 7. CUTA considered the District's counter proposal to represent no movement and made a request to PERB, the Public Employee Relations Board, to declare impasse. PERB did declare a state of impasse to exist and assigned a mediator, Stephen Pearl. A mediation date has been set for October 18.
CUTA's June 7 Proposal had two options:
Option 1. Reimburse members for the difference between the projected cost of the Red Plan had no changes been made and the current lower premium being paid by CUSD after changes were made to the plan in both 10/11 and 11/12.
Option 2. Reimburse members for the difference between their actual out of pocket expenses and what those expenses would have been had no changes been made to the Red Plan during our three year agreement.
Option 1 is simple to implement. Every member gets a check. Option 2 is more difficult, but far less expensive for the District. Members are only reimbursed for their actual costs. Many of us, including myself, probably won't bother with the extra paper work. For us the issue is the principle involved. "We had a deal, honor your agreement."
The District's counter proposal is that we form a sub-committee to analyze areas of the contract such as stipends, retiree benefits, and class size that we could change. Those changes would provide the District with ongoing revenue. The District could then use that revenue, provided by us, to cover the District's obligation regarding the changes to the Red Plan. It doesn't make sense, at least to me, why CUTA would agree to reduce retiree benefits so that we could then take those savings to reimburse retirees for changes to their helath plan. It seems like we are being asked to take money out of our left pocket so that we can put it in our right.
We are frustrated that we are spending this kind of time and energy on what should be a non-issue. We went from Silver to Red, which saved CUSD about $2.5 million. We'd like some of it back.
There are so many areas we need to work on together to make CUSD a better place to work and to learn. CUTA has been doing its part. We worked with the District to provide extended day Kindergarten. We worked with the District to ensure that all secondary teachers would use the Aeries grading program improving school to home communication. We invited the District and CSEA to co-sponsor and join us in the beginning of the year party, bringing everyone together in a positive atmosphere.
We request that you now do your part.
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August 17, 2011
Regarding the Red Plan:
The two teams have met to discuss the impact and effect of changes to Health Benefits three times: May 10, June 7 and June 21. The District did not have a proposal at any of those meetings. At the June 7 meeting CUTA presented the District with an official proposal. The District has not accepted that proposal or come back with a counter-proposal. At the June 21 meeting it was agreed that if the District would not accept our proposal or present a counter proposal the scheduled June 23 bargaining session would be cancelled. The District notified CUTA that they were not going to accept or counter at that time and the June 23 session was cancelled. June 23 CUTA offerred the District the opportunity to jointly file for impasse. July 12 the District informed CUTA that they were "willing to continue negotiating on this topic". The two teams are scheduled to meet again August 24.
Regarding Article 19 (Term):
July 21 the District informed CUTA, per the direction of the Board of Education, CUSD's intent to exercise Article 19.1 and allow the CUTA Collective Bargaining Agreement to expire August 31, 2014. Of major concern related to this action is issue of time. CUTA notified the District and Board of Education December 15, 2010, our demand to bargain the impact and effect of changes to the health plan in the 11/12 school year. We notified the District again February 22, 2011. As of today, eight months later, we have had no proposal from the District on this one issue. We can't begin to imagine how long the negotiation process would take with the entire contract open.
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July 20, 2011
November 1, 2009, CUTA members switched from the BSSP-JPA Silver Plan to the BSSP-JPA Red Plan. Had CUTA stayed on the Silver Plan CUSD would have paid $905.50 per active member per month for 09/10, $949.50 for 10/11, and $985 for 11/12. Instead, CUSD paid $766 in 09/10, $829 in 10/11 and will pay $898 in 11/12 for the Red Plan. We calculate the savings to the District resulting from this move, including retirees, to exceed $2.5 million.
February 22, 2011, CUTA presented CUSD a Demand to Bargain the impact and effect of changes to the Red Plan for the 2011/2012 school year. March 31, 2011, the JPA voted to raise the deductibles and coinsurance of the Red Plan. The JPA also voted to eliminate the Red Plan as an option for retirees.
The two teams have met to discuss this impact and effect three times: May 10, June 7, and June 21. The District did not have a proposal at any of those meetings. At the June 7 meeting CUTA presented the District with an official proposal. The District has not accepted that proposal or come back with a counter-proposal. At the June 21 meeting it was agreed that if the District would not accept our proposal or preesnt a counter proposal the scheduled June 23 bargaining session would be cancelled. The District notified CUTA that they were not going to accept or counter at that time and the June 23 session was cancelled.
From CUTA's perspective an agreement was made in 2009. CUTA would go from Silver to Red and the District would keep the savings. We were willing to go to a lower plan in return for the security of guaranteeing that plan for three years. At the June 21 bargaining session we expressed our confusion regarding the District's position that they cannot value their responsibility until a State Budget is passed. We expressed our belief that regardless of the State Budgtet issue, CUSD still has an obligation to the three year deal struck in 2009.
CUTA also interprets the past actions of the District as evidence that an obligation exists. In 2007 when the JPA voted to change the prescription portion of the Silver Plan, both teams met to bargain the impact and effect of that change. The result was increasing the raise that year from 2.84% to 3%. Last year the JPA voted to put married retirees on one plan. CUSD volunatrily reimbursed those married couples their increased copays and coinsurance because the special coordination of benefits for married couples would not apply now that they were on one plan.
We urge CUSD to accept our proposal or come to the bargaining table with a counter proposal.
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2010-2011
CUTA PRESIDENT: JOHN JENSWOLD
June 15, 2011
In 2008-09 teachers offered to transition from Silver to Red resulting in considerable, ongoing savings in premium costs for the district. In exchange teachers were promised the Red plan for three years. Unfortunately, the district was reluctant to accept our offer at that time. By the time we settled, the months of delay had cost CUSD approximately $300,000. Shortly after our agreement, CUSD, along with the other members of the JPA, voted to increase the deductibles, copays, and coinsurance of the Red plan. Doing so reduced CUSD's premium costs. Both CUSD and CUTA valued the savings to the district at $301,000. In our 2009-10 settlement, teachers agreed to forgo our claim, for the 2009-10 school year, to that amount (Article 9.1 "If the JPA-BSSP modifies coverage of the Red Plan, CUTA and CUSD agree to immediately negotiate the impact and effect of such changes").
Once again this year, the JPA members have voted to minimize districts' costs by increasing deductibles, copays, and coinsurance, as well as the "special coordination of benefits for married couples". And, a new wrinkle, the Red plan will not be available for retirees. As with the year before, CUTA has filed our demand to bargain the change. CUSD has been slow to participate in the process. For the second consecutive negotiating session CUTA presented contract language to resolve the disparity between the existing Red/Blue benefit plan and the Red plan as was contracted in 2008-09. The district has failed to accept or deliver a counter proposal in either case. CUSD and CUTA meet again on Tuesday, June 21.
Teachers deserve a proactive response from the district. We had a deal. Teachers went from Silver to Red in exchange for the security of three years of consistent, albeit reduced health coverage. That deal saved the District in the neighborhood of $2,000,000. We ask the board to pressure its negotiating team to work quickly for a solution that will fairly compensate teachers our increased costs and will allow the district to take pride in having honored its original agreement.
In our last bargaining session, Tuesday, June 7, the subject of opening negotiations to the public was discussed. The District bargaining team has stated that it is the Board's wish to do so. Before CUTA will consider such an action, we would ask that the School Board members sit in on at least one bargaining session. We are concerned that opening negotiations to the public could create more problems than it would solve. It would be difficult to have the conversation if the School Board has never been to a session. Regardless of this issue, I would like you all to know that each have an open and permanent invitation from CUTA to sit to observe during negotiations. I will continue to invite you each month. Our next negotiation sessions are set for Tuesday, June 21, 8:30 am and Thursday, June 23, 1:00pm. Both will take place at the CUTA office.
May 18, 2011
In 2009-10, CUTA agreed to move from the JPA Silver Plan to the Red Plan, allowing CUSD to keep the savings in exchange for a guarantee that members would be provided Red at 2009-10 levels through 2011-12. Article 9.1 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between CUSD and CUTA states that CUTA has the right to bargain the impact and effect of any changes the JPA makes to helath benefits. The JPA voted to change the Red Plan in March 2010 (for the 2010-11 year). This change reduced benefits to members, increasing copays, coinsurance and deductibles. This change allowed CUSD to save $301,000 in premium costs for the Red Plan in the 2010-11 school year. As part of the CBA signed in October 2010, CUTA relinquished its claim to bargain the impact and effect of that change in the 2010-11 school year. In March 2011 the JPA voted again to further reduce the Red Plan with yet additional increases to copays, coinsurance, and deductibles. Negotiating teams met on May 10, 2011. CUTA presented the District with the following proposal to mitigate the impact and effect of the changes to the Red Plan:
May 10, 2011
CUTA Concept
We suggest the following:
CUSD agrees to reimburse CUTA members and retirees for expenditures in excess of the 2009-10 Red Plan out of pocket maximums for medical and pharmaceutical expenses during the 2011-12 coverage year.
CUTA feels this solution will honor the intent of the original agreement. It will provide CUTA members with the Red Plan (in theory) as it existed when we agreed to switch from Silver. Our teams are scheduled to meet again on June 6 to allow CUSD time to consider our concept.
April 20, 2011
As soon as dates are set, the respective bargaining teams will meet to discuss the impact and effect of changes recently made to the Red Plan as a result of the JPA's vote three weeks ago. Also, two committees formed per our agreement last fall will be meeting over the next couple of weeks. One committee will look at increasig the Average Daily Attendance (ADA) here in CUSD thereby increasing revenue, while the other will attempt to identify conditions necessary for CUSD to offer retirement incentives that would reduce expenses. May 9-13 there will be a number of statewide activities to draw yet more attention to the plight of California's public education system. Here in Chico, to highlight that education is the life-blood of our society, CUTA will be having a blood drive that week. More details will be announced next week.
March 23, 2011
Board Resolution 1136-11 which passed last month called for the release of 63 CUTA members assigned to Temporary positions; Board Resolution 1135-11 called for the release of 15.6 FTE permanent assignment individuals. On the morning of March 10, Buth Curtis, our CTA attorney, and John Jenswold met with Bob Feaster and CUSD's attorney to work out a Stipulated Layoff Agreement designed to avoid the costly hearing process by coming to an agreed upon number of layoffs.
February 16, 2011
The respective bargaining teams met on Thursday, January 27 as well as Tuesday, February 8. In addition, meetings are scheduled for February 17, and next Tuesday, February 22. Discussions continue on extended day kindergarten, the implementation of the Aeries system pertaining to attendance and grading, and procedures to deal with staff friction.
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January 19, 2011
The CUTA bargaining team met with the district yesterday, January 18, regarding the 2011/2012 contract year. While both salary and benefits are off the table due to the three year agreement reached this past October, there are still issues and opportunities to negotiate.
Among the topics discussed: Extended day kindergarten; Aeries attendance and grading; Procedures to deal with staff friction; and Obsolete contract language.
The first meeting was primarily for the purpose of gathering information and determining needs for upcoming discussions. To those ends, each side left with "assignments" for future meetings. We are scheduled to come together again on Thursday, January 27.
It is our team's hope that this period of relative calm may afford us the opportunity to greatly improve communication and avoid issues that have caused frustration in the past. |
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December 15, 2010
Presented by Kurt Rix, Bargaining Chair:
It has come to our attention that CUSD has plans to implement an all day kindergarten program for the 2011-12 school year. This necessitates modification to Article 6.1.1.B.1.a.1(a) and 6.1.1.B.1.b of the collective bargaining agreement prior to implementation of changes. In accordance with Article 6.1.1.B.1.h CUTA hereby demands to bargain the impact and effect of the changes being considered by the District in order that these changes may be implemented without undue friction or controversy.
While the recent contract settlement resolved issues regarding the impact and effect of changes to CUTA's health care covereage for 2010-11, it did not address any mitigation for 2011-12. In accordance with Article 9.1, CUTA hereby demonds to bargain the impact and effect of those changes for 2011-12.
Finally, we would ask CUSD to entertain our invitation to mutually reopen selected parts of the Collective Bargaining Agreement for the purpose of:
Deleting language applicable to programs that no longer exist
- Discussing CUTA's continued participation MAA report and Article 6.1.1.B.2.d.2)
- Resolving disputes and potential arbitration resulting from the District's mandated use of the Aries gradebook program (6.1.1.B.2.d.2).
- Creating a process to more effectively deal with corroborated staff friction prior to resorting to involuntary transfer (11.6.2.A.6).
CUTA hopes that the District will eagerly engage with us in this process to prevent potential problems rather than belatedly reacting to them. Our district faces serious challenges that will only be met through cooperation, conciliation, and consideration for the stakeholders assigned to implement District decisions. Any attempt at side stepping this process will only result in further discord and confrontation. Improved communication between administration, teachers, and the school board are an essential first step to our mutual benefit. |
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November 17, 2010
This last month, most all of us experienced a collective sigh of relief. Though some hard feeling may linger, that doesn't change how important the upcoming years are for CUSD.
The teachers of CUTA are committed to meaningful improvements on all levels of delivering education to our community. We are committed to developing a culture geared toward generating goodwill amongst educators and the community we serve; culture and enviornment where ideas are free flowing and shared without concern or hesitation.
We hope to be part of a new tradition of efficient and effective communication between all concerned parties; to become active participants in identifying and capitalizing on mutually beneficial opportunities. As such, we are committed to investigating possible contractual improvements, cost effective changes, and outside sources of revenue.
Most importantly, we would like to partner with the district in celebrating the considerable successes in CUSD's classrooms and campuses. What can we do together to draw attention to all the schools showing continuous gains on high stakes tests? What about publicly rejoicing in the chosen path of all our seniors? Whether it's college, the miliary, a trade school, police or fire academies, it's worthy of recognition.
Now is the time to capitalize on our skills and expertise as we are eager to be a part of the process of improvement. We are anxious to get started and we are looking to our district leadership for the call to action. |
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October 20, 2010
To say that much has happened since our last meeting would be an obvious understatement. It is my sincere hope that we never again travel the contentious road that brought us here.
I don't want us to forget what brought us here, but I do want us to put it behind us and learn how to better work together for the common good of Chico's youth.
At the Board meeting held two weeks ago in the large conference room at the District Office, I heard a group of PVHS teachers present a most encouraging report of their successes with students. It's time we do more celebrating of our successes, because they are out there. |
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September 15, 2010
Since we last met, CUSD recognized the Package Proposal CUTA presented July 28 as an official proposal. This proposal was rejected with no counter-proposal offered.
What we are at a loss to understand is why our one-year agreement last year that gave CUSD $1 million in savings was OK, but this year's offer giving savings of $1.6 million is not, especially since CUSD is apparently starting with 50% more than it did when it accepted our offer last year. Additionally, the proposal we offered included CUSD's language from a mediated proposal changing the timeline for bargaining that bogged us down this last year.
Facing the potential of imposition by CUSD, a ballot vote held this last Thursday and Friday authorized CUTA's Executive Board to call for a strike when legal and deemed necessary.
This last Monday, the Fact-finding panel met with both Bargaining teams. An agreement was not forth-coming and the respective teams were released by Bonnie Castrey, the neutral member of the panel at 5:00 p.m.
I thought you might be interested to know how much was saved by avoiding the RIF hearing process this last year. Based on what I could glean from a recent PRR, Kingsley, Bogard and Thompson billed CUSD:
Feb $12,321
Mar $15,357.50
Apr $350
May $1,326.90
This $29,355.40 is about 26% of the $108,000 that was billed a couple of years ago.
When this savings was to CUSD, the State, or a combination of the two, as taxpayers we all win.
Respectfully submitted,
John Jenswold
CUTA President |
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August 18, 2010
In a year where CUSD has a beginning balance of over $17 million, we the teachers, are here to call attention to sac rifices we have already made since 2007:
- 116 staff positions have been reduced
- Class sizes have been increased, particularly in the primary grades
- Health benefits have been reduced while costs to unit members have increased dramatically
- Intervention time to work with students has been lost because teachers are traveling room to room and school to school
- Increased out of pocket expenses due to decreased classroom budgets
Everyone acknowledges that the state of California is in unprecedented economic turmoil. In response to this economic climate, CUTA has made those significant sacrifices.
School District budgeting is not an exact science which makes negotiations difficult.
We hope that the Board understands that in spite of the sacrifices our members have already made, CUTA has none-the-less offered considerable salary and contract concessions for this year. At present the District administration has not responded to our three-week old offer.
Finally, with little regard to all the sacrifices the teachers have made, our District has moved toward an even greater extreme by beginning the process of eliminating the contract in its entirety in August 2012.
The teachers in this room tonight, and the countless others they represent, have already demonstrated a willingness to sacrifice and go to whatever means necessary to protect their profession and the contrac they ahve fought long and hard to craft.
Thank you, School Board and teachers for your time.
Respectfully submitted,
John Jenswold
CUTA President |
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May 19, 2010
Regardless of the reasons, after many months we now find ourselves ready to sit down with the services of a mediator and begin to talk.
With this year's RIF process, we have begun to change the way things have been done. I hope we can extend this to the process of negotiations.
My concern is that there is too much reliance on costly "outside" advice from those who have no vested interest in the city of Chico. |
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April 21, 2010
An email correspondence dated April 14 from Sandra Poole, the PERB assigned mediator, informed us to schedule the 20th of May for mediation and to hold the dates of May 26, June 1, and June 2 open as well, should they be necessary.
I received email notification today that CUSD will be sunshining its proposal at the May 19 School Board meeting, so the respective bargaining teams will be gathering the following day at 9:30 am.
On another front, representatives from CUSD, CUMA, CSEA, CUTA and the public continue to meet on Mondays discussing the ins and outs of the budget. |
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April 7, 2010
Yesterday morning we received the following communication from the Public Employees Relations Board (PERB) assigned mediator, Sandra Poole: "After careful consideration, and consultation with my colleagues, I have decided to not release the parties to Fact Finding at this time and to schedule mediation beginning with the dates discussed when we met on March 22. In part this decision is based upon the representation by CUTA that the concerns raised were procedural. If it becomes apparent that further mediation is merely a delaying tactic or unlikely to result in an agreement, I will not hesitate to release the parties to fact finding. Let's confirm dates this week."
As soon as we hear from her, I'll let you know. - John Jenswold |
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