Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Black Wednesday

Aloha,

A few updates and/or reminders:

1.  OEA leadership would like you to continue to wear black on Wednesdays to show support for your negotiations team and solidarity as we approach negotiations.

2.  Negotiations begin for OEA on Wednesday, October 16th.  I know that CSEA (the classified union) has completed their negotiations and are working to complete their agreement, but I do not have any specific details at this time.

3.  OEA would like to see your support at the October 16th School Board Meeting.  Please meet in the District Office parking lot for Hot Chocolate at 6:30 pm!  School Board Meeting begins at 7:15 pm!

4.  Liz Phillips is hosting two informal meetings with the public.  The first meeting is scheduled for Monday, October 14, from 4-5 pm in the Board Room.  The second meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, October 22, from 11am-Noon in the Board Room.  The purpose of the meetings will be for Liz to field questions and seek input on our school district from parents and community members.  Everyone is invited!

I just wanted to say how proud I was to be your Presdient last Tuesday night!  What an awesome turnout to a very difficult evening!  Please keep the support coming by attending School Board Meetings!  Everyone of your voices matters!  From the bottom of my heart!

MAHALO,

Monique L. Segura
President, Orcutt Educators Association
805-714-9861

Friday, September 20, 2013

Talking Points


Talking Points on Orcutt Bargaining

The following talking points may be used in conversations, letters to the editor, emails to board members or other communications.  This is to provide you with specific facts to use, yet you should pick from those facts and put them in your own words. 

·               In the past, even when negotiations were not completed, the District agreed to pay the proportional increase in health care costs.
·               In most cases, that means the District pays 80% of the increase and the teacher pays 20%.
·               This year, the District has refused to pay the increase for teachers and classified staff before negotiations.
·               The District is paying 100% of the increase for those who get 100% of their insurance premium paid, including Superintendent Bob Bush, three school board members and most administrators.
·               The health care increase this year is relatively small – about $70 per month for a family – yet it is significant for families who have already suffered from years of no permanent salary increase.
·               Salary Schedule Samples from Column VI Step 20:

2000/2001 - $68,250
2001/2002 - $69,931
2002/2003 - $70,586
2003/2004 - $70,586
2004/2005 - $71,576
2005/2006 - $72,916
2006/2007 - $77,015
2007/2008 - $80,815
2008/2009 - $80,815
2009/2010 - $80,815
2010/2011 - $80,815
2011/2012 - $80,815
2012/2013 - $80,815

Special School Board Meeting


OEA
Social Event
Tuesday, September 24th
6 PM
(following School Board Meeting)
Me & Ed’s Pizza
560 E. Betteravia Rd.

Friday, September 13, 2013

Meeting



OEA General Membership Meeting

Monday, September 16th
4 PM
LJHS Cafeteria
Important information regarding:
Health Benefits
Negotiations

Friday, September 6, 2013

Negotiations Timeline

Aloha,

I feel it is very important at this time to share the following time line with the OEA membership so that you can have a sense of where we are at this point in time:

September 2012

OEA and the District agreed on a Master MOU (memorandum of understanding).  The MOU stated that both parties reached an agreement on the following issues:

1. Term
2.  Evaluation
3.  Leaves, Sabbatical Leave
4.  Class Size
5.  Working Days and Hours
6.  Compensation, including Health & Welfare Benefits
7.  Appendix B - Stipends
8.  Organizational Rights
9.  Peer Assistance and Review
10. Safety
11. Early Retirement
12. Completion of Meet and Negotiate
13. An MOU granting two (2) percent one-time, off-schedule compensation increase
14. An MOU granting compensatory time to TK and Kindergarten teachers for interviewing students prior to the school year

The reason why we were not able to  ratify our contract is because OEA and the District have not resolved provisions in the Collective Bargaining Agreement pertaining to certain employment rights and issues of Bargaining Unit Members who work for the District's Charter School.  Those rights are the rights of Unit Members at the Charter sites in cases of lay-off, discipline, and dismissal.

December 2012

OEA and the District attended the fact-finding hearing.  In fact-finding, a panel of three - one neutral party appointed by the state, one appointed by OEA, and one appointed by the District - hear the parties' positions and their rationale for taking their positions.  During the hearing, each team presented a binder full of information.  At the conclusion of our fact-finding session both parties agreed to form a "Super Committee" to continue discussing the issues of discipline and dismissal rights for members who work at Orcutt Academy.

April 2013

At the conclusion of the "Super Committee" meetings both parties still did not come to an agreement on the issue of the rights of Unit Members at the Charter sites in cases of lay-off, discipline, and dismissal.  Therefore, this issue went to our one neutral party appointed by the state to send us a report.  To this date, we still have not received a report.

August 2013

OEA has received a letter from our Superintendent letting us know that absent an agreement with OEA, our membership will be picking up the slight increase in the Health and Welfare benefits for the 2013-2014 school year.  OEA has also learned from CTA that we can proceed in the negotiations process even though we are still involved in fact-finding.

September 2013

Given the above information your Executive Board and Negotiations Team (Monique L. Segura, Anna Zucker, Pat Brickey, Elizabeth Parker, Roberta Hough, Steve Blackie, Don Robertson, Scott Gelotti, Anita Perales, and Lisa Wilkanoski) met on Tuesday, Sept. 3rd to discuss this situation.  We agreed to present an MOU to the District stating "Contingent upon School Board approval, the Orcutt Educators Association and the Orcutt Union School District do hereby mutually agree that beginning October 1, 2013, the District will pick up the proportional increases to the premium cost for health benefits for 2013-2014 school year."  Yesterday (Sept. 5th) I made that presentation to Bob Bush and Don Nicholson...I should hear later today if the School Board will agree to the MOU.

Our OEA Executive Board and Negotiations Team also decided to move forward on the negotiations process.  Later today I will be presenting Bob Bush with OEA's Initial Contract Proposal.  The three articles we are proposing to open are:  Article VIII - Class Size, Article IX - Working Days and Hours, and Article X - Compensation.  This Initial Contract Proposal will go to the School Board at the Sept. 11th meeting.

I hope this time line has been helpful in understanding where we are with negotiations and where we are going.  Please feel free to contact me at any time with questions and/or concerns.  As we begin this process please know that your OEA team is working hard to gain a better contract for you!

Mahalo,
Monique
714-9861

Thursday, May 16, 2013

New Calendar, Board Info, and Reimbursement Form

The 2013-2014 Family Calendar, New School Board contact info, and Employee Reimbursement Form are now available. Look on the right side of the website under Download Docs. Click on the links to download a pdf.