UESF’s Strike Authorization Vote, 3/29 (edit this)
Over the weekend, I was part of the United Educators of San Francisco’s phone bank, calling members to remind UESF members to vote on Wednesday, 3/29 from 4-7:30 p.m. at Kezar Pavilion, 755 Stanyan (between Haight and Waller).
This is a Strike Authorization Vote. It would give the UESF negotiating team another tool as they negotiate a fair contract for teachers and paraprofessionals.
Obviously, a key sticking point is salary. UESF hasn’t gotten a raise in over three years-even though the District has gotten Cost of Living Adjustment of 10% from the State for state funds (the majority of funding for education comes from the State) for the last 2 years. Next year, the projected COLA that SFUSD will get from the state is 6.96%.
But other critical elements that seem to get lost in the discussion about the teachers’ contract. SFUSD is rejecting things that would not only help teachers& paraprofessionals-but would also help students, including:
Rodent Control for All Classrooms
Live Phone Lines in Each Room to Call in the Event of an Emergency with a Child
First Aid Kits in Every Classroom
Protection from and removal of asbestos at schools
Healthy indoor air protections
Requiring that only nurses who are trained do specialized health procedures
Elimination of the Child Development Program Task Force and the district’s obligation to work to implement the Task Force’s
Other Recommendations
Pay Raises for Substitutes and Substitute Paraprofessionals (SFUSD’s contract does not include any raises for these key members of our community)
Binding arbitration for paraprofessionals’ discipline and dismissal
Per diem rates for teachers who work longer hours at summer school
Prep time for elementary school teachers so the students can have a more enriched academic day
Teachers and paraprofessionals are a critical component to creating an outstanding education for our City’s youngest scholars. We need to support them in providing “excellent education for all” with a better contract than the one that is being offered by SFUSD.
March 28th, 2006 at 12:43 pm e
It’s interesting that in all of their communications to us, the Kelly team HAS NEVER mentioned any details other than salary.
Personally, condsidering the general lack of quality in the subs that have assigned to my classroom when I have been out, they don’t deserve a pay raise. We need to find some way to pay them on merit.
In other words, if you ignore my lesson plan and give my students puzzles or a movie, while you read the paper or work on your novel, you should be paid baby-sitting wages and nothing more. Unemployed poets or whatevers should find another job.
This cohort of employees is too far ranging in qualifications and churn rate is so high as to deserve negotiation on their behalf. Do they pay UESF dues?