SRTA News and Updates

Special SRTA Update: Member Under Fire

3/13/2019

If we stand for respectful treatment of all SRTA members, we must stand united in support of one member who is being treated more than disrespectfully and is being threatened with termination by the district. SRTA contends this is in retaliation for advocating for students by asking difficult questions.

To further support our union sister who is being unfairly prosecuted, we are sharing the Unfair Labor Practice charge prepared by our CTA attorney with our members. At the recent CTA State Council meeting, the unjust treatment of teachers in our district and particularly Kris Bertsch-Rydell was adopted as a statewide cause for action. The CTA monthly magazine, California Educator, is scheduled to run an article about Kris Bertsch-Rydell and the unfair charges against her in their next issue.

When members are bullied or threatened, it has a chilling effect on their ability to speak up for themselves, each other, and their students. The most effective way to combat this is to stand up for each other en masse.

Please find below a link to the Unfair Labor Practice SRTA/CTA has filed on behalf of Kris Bertsch-Rydell, counselor at Santa Rosa High School. This document refutes the claims against Kris, our SRTA High School Level Rep. This transparency should help even the most skeptical observer join their voice in the chorus to end this persecution and demand respectful treatment of all staff.

SRTA Unfair Labor Practice Charge Filed On Behalf of SRTA Member Kris Bertsch-Rydell - February 2019

Open the Unfair Labor Practice charge in a new window

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SRTA Negotiations Update - March 7, 2019 - Strike Planning Meeting Scheduled

3/7/2019

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Dear SRTA Members,

Concerted Action Works! Your efforts have convinced the district to drop their demands for Article 6 take backs! We have achieved major advancements in our Special Ed caseloads including securing overages for special educators in our contract for the first time ever.

The District stated they were unprepared to negotiate pay and benefits. The only action the District is currently willing to undertake to meet Union demands is to cut teachers: 50 teachers in 2019-20 and 25 more in 2020-21. This is 8% of SRTA’s members.

SRTA members must let their disappointment over this fuel our actions. SRTA must continue to demand improved learning conditions for our students! We must use a unified voice to fight for supports for our struggling students to reach A-G aspirations.

Today’s Negotiations

The SRCS and SRTA Negotiations teams met on Thursday, March 7, 2019, from 9 am to about 2:15 pm. The District responded to Article 6, hours and days of employment, and SRTA responded to proposals for Article 14 (class size), and Article 16 (compensation.)

SRTA contends that the issues around funding are not one of record keeping, but one of priorities. SRCS just passed a trustworthy annual audit. CTA continually analyzes SRCS’s numbers. Having CTA audit SRCS’s books will not help our cause, it will just delay the process.

Tentative Agreements Reached

Common Bell Schedule will not happen across the district.
- All current MOU’s will sunset June 30, 2020 (instead of June 2019)
- SRTA and SRCS will meet before December 30, 2019 to determine which MOUs can be incorporated into the contract and which may need to be renegotiated based on current need
- MOUs that are determined to need further negotiations will be sent to school sites for further review and possible action
- SRTA and SRCS will study and make recommendations, if any, about how to use instructional time for bell schedules and collaboration time no later than January 30, 2020. Any final decisions will be codified in site-ratified MOUs.
Adjunct Duties
- The Article 6 Committees will remain teacher determined, elected by their peers
- The Article 6 Committee at each site will publish their process for determining adjunct duties and equitable distribution
- Unit members can volunteer and be paid at the extended day rate for additional adjunct duties with prior approval from the administrator
- Adjunct hours will remain at 5-13 hours a year to be determined by the Article 6 Committee
- Staff meetings will remain at 21 hours a year
- Graduation supervision will remain as an adjunct duty, not a requirement
Compensation
- Elementary unit members
  - Will be compensated at the extended day rate for subbing on their prep
  - Will be compensated at the extended day rate for each hour they take more than 5 of their colleague’s students because of lack of subs
- Secondary unit members
  - Will be compensated for subbing on their prep at the extended day rate
  - Will receive $10 per extra student they take because of a lack of subs, if any single class period goes over 33 students
- 3 release days or 18 paid hours to move classrooms if a member is transferred or reassigned involuntarily, either on the same school site or to another school site.
- More paid work time for secondary counselors (195 days/yr)
- Additional salary increases for school psychologists, nurses and speech and language pathologists to help with our attract and retain problems with these unit members.
- Endeavoring to schedule IEPs and 504s during the contract day, with pay for meetings held beyond the contract day
- Maintain two professional development days, adding them permanently to the salary schedule (about 1%, already on the salary schedule)
Class sizes and Caseloads
- Caseload limits for special educators, and overages if limits are exceeded
- 33:1 class size limit for CTE classes
- 25:1 class size limit for middle and high school ELD courses
- 16:1 class size limit for middle and high school Newcomer courses

Issues We Are Near Agreement On

Class sizes and Caseloads
- 25:1 class size for Math 1
- 25:1 class size for 9th grade science courses
- 25:1 class size for 9th grade English

Issues Still Needing To Be Negotiated

Salary and medical benefit increases for all unit members.
- The District had proposed 5.5% over two years with January implementation dates
  - SRTA will not make a tentative agreement that includes January start dates for salary increases.
- SRTA countered with a two-year salary proposal
  - 5.5% salary increase for 2019-2020, starting July 1, 2019.
  - 4.5% salary increase for 2020-2021, starting July 1, 2020.
Dental benefit increase
- The District has proposed $0.
- SRTA countered for $600 additional district contribution for dental in 2019-20 and $400 in 2020-21.
Medical benefits for all unit members taking the district sponsored plan
- The District has proposed $700 for 2019-20 and $700 for 2020-21 ($6700/year)
- SRTA countered with $1500 for 2019-20 ($6800/year) and $1500 for 2020-21($8300/year) in additional district contribution for medical

Back to the Table March 27

The Negotiations Team will continue to push for more positive movement. We will remain diligent until we reach a ratifiable tentative agreement that moves us Forward NOT Backward!

“We must stand together; if we don’t, there will be no victory for any one of us.”
--Mary Harris Jones

Stand Together

Put March 13 on your calendars as an all call school board meeting and a Blue and Gold day. The theme for speeches and picket signs is: Stop hurting students, solve the attract and retain crisis
March 27: Negotiations Day, Blue and Gold day
March 27: School Board Meeting Blue and Gold day
Between now and March 28: attend your SRTA site visit to discuss strike readiness
March 28: SRTA Strike Plan Meeting March 28 at 4pm @ SRHS in the Main Auditorium
Get your SRTA gear by visiting bit.ly/SRTAstore before March 15th. Wear your SRTA gear to show your solidarity
Stay vigilant to support SRTA's Forward NOT Backward and Student Advocate campaigns until they are both successfully resolved.
Continue to read updates from SRTA sent to your personal email.
Support your leaders who are working hard to represent you.

The Negotiations Team welcomes your questions, concerns, and input. Please contact us with the following link SRTA Member Input for the Negotiations Team.

Your Negotiations Team and Officers,
Lead Negotiator Kathryn Howell, Danita Haynes (Home and Hospital and ISP), Ginger Matich (Special Services), Dan Swedenborg (Elementary), George Peterson (Middle School), Maddie Doyle (High School), Will Lyon (President), Tawni Johnson (Vice President), Kris Ackerman (Secretary), Margie BradyLong (Treasurer).

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