Negotiations Update

The Orcutt Educators Association is asking for Equal Employment Rights for Equal Work!  Why should Orcutt Academy Charter teachers be treated any different then Teachers at other Orcutt Schools.  We teach equality in our classrooms, we believe the School Board should provide equality to our Charter Teachers!  Please contact the Orcutt Union School Board Members to voice your concerns:

Rob Buchanan at rbuchanan@orcutt-schools.net
Robert Hatch at rhatch@orcutt-schools.net
Kathy Meissner at kmeissner@orcutt-schools.net
James Peterson at jpeterson@orcutt-schools.net
Jan Zilli at jzilli@orcutt-schools.net

ATTENTION ORCUTT PARENTS!
We invite you to come and learn about the Orcutt Union School District’s plans to keep Orcutt Academy Charter teachers
“SECOND CLASS” teachers at a meeting Thursday, March 8, at 7 p.m. in the YOYO Center, 725 East Foster Road. Your participation is needed now to tell the School Board that all Orcutt teachers, including Charter teachers, should have the same employment rights!

TEACHERS
Teachers please note that buttons may be worn at school, please do not discuss with students during pupil contact time.  Also, please join us on March 14th at 5:45 pm in the Orcutt Union School District parking lot before the 6:15 pm School Board Meeting.  OEA has prepared some signs, but feel free to make your own or contact Monique for supplies!  We need your support now more then ever!  Please feel free to contact Monique (714-9861) with any questions and/or concerns!

Mahalo!

Negotiations Update

Talking points regarding Bargain 2/24/12

Your Negotiating Team met with the District bargaining team on Friday, Feb. 24, from 8:30 a.m. until 1 p.m.

·       They have offered 0% and a cap on benefits to the 2009-10 level.

·       They have not moved at all on their position regarding the employment rights of Charter Teachers.

·       We continue to make some progress in other areas under consideration.

The attorney for the District made it clear that the School Board does not want to offer the same protections for Charter Teachers that are enjoyed by other Teachers employed by the Orcutt Union School District. It is obvious that fairness and equality are not priorities for the School Board.

OEA Social

Please join your fellow teachers this Friday at 4 p.m. at the Orcutt Brewing Company (Loading Dock).  Appetizers will be provided, hopefully we will see you there!

Negotiations Update 1-27-2012

The clarification meeting held on Tuesday, January 17th between the OUSD Administration and the OEA Negotiations Representative Team was very positive and productive.  OEA did clarify two important points:

1.  OEA stands firm that all district certificated teachers will have equal employment rights under the California State Education Code specifically as it pertains to discipline, dismissal, rehire rights, and reduction in force.

2.  OEA recognizes that the contract should reflect the needs of flexibility for the uniqueness of the Charter K-12 School.

We will not be meeting on Monday, January 30th as previously planned.  Bob will be holding a Special Board Meeting (closed session) on Tuesday, January 31st.  By the end of next week I should have a report about our next steps in negotiations.  Please feel free to contact me with any questions and/or concerns!

Mahalo,
Monique

Negotiations Update

Part of your negotiations team will be meeting on Tuesday, January 17th to have a Clarification Session.  We will establish ground rules before we begin.  This is NOT a bargaining session and we will NOT be exchanging proposals.  CTA and the district Legal Counsel will not be present at this session.  We are then scheduled to meet at the Bargaining Table on Monday, January 30th.

Orcutt Bargaining Update November 17 and 18 Sessions

Your Association Bargaining Team met with the district’s attorney and four administrators to begin negotiating the 2011-12 contract. Some issues have already been resolved, yet there are two major issues that the district is so far unwilling to move on:

1.     Fairness for Charter Teachers: The District has proposed a contract that would create three classes of teachers in Orcutt; those who work in the non-charter schools, those who work in the charter schools and had permanence in the non-charter schools, and those who were hired directly into the charter schools. Under the District’s plan, two teachers could work next door to each other and have drastically different rights for dismissal and layoff. One would have the right to an independent review for either action, the other could be fired for virtually any reason, and fired at the end of the year for no reason at all and with no right of return. We are one group of teachers, teaching one community of students, and we should all have equal rights under our contract and under law.

2.     Smaller class sizes: The Association has proposed to make class sizes smaller, or to compensate teachers when the District wants the flexibility to keep a class larger. Over two days of bargaining, the District’s attorney has refused to make a counterproposal other than “no.” At one point, attorney David Larsen called the teachers of Orcutt “spoiled,” despite the fact that the student-to-teacher ratio in Orcutt is higher than any elementary district in the county. Higher than Santa Maria-Bonita. Higher than Guadalupe. Higher than Blochman.

In the coming weeks, Association leaders and CTA staff will be in your buildings to talk about the facts in this bargain and what you can do to get a fair settlement in these negotiations.

Updates 11/18/11

1. If anyone is interested in applying for a Teacher's Lounge Makeover worth $7500 I am giving you the website to apply... www.schoollongemakeover.com. This offer is through California Casualty Insurance.

2. By now you should have received your CTA calendar, CTA benefits folders, and CTA membership cards from your Site Rep. Please let me know if you did not receive a card or if there is an error with your personal information. Just a reminder that many businesses have discounts for teachers and your CTA card can be your proof of profession.

3. Soon I will have 2010-2011 OEA Contracts available at your sites...in the mean time our contract can be found on our website at www.orcutteducators.com. Thank you Paul Cleveland for all your continued hard work on this website!

4. Please see the attached OEA Scholarship form if you are interested in attending a conference this school year. In order to apply for the $100 OEA Scholarship fill out the form, get a signature from your Site Rep. and send it to Roberta Hough (OEA Treasurer) at Pine Grove.

5. If you are noticing a Safety Issue at your site please fill out a safety form (attached) and present it to your Site Supervisor so that a work order can be filled out or the issue can be addressed. This protocol was discussed at our Safety Committee meeting last week.

6. Please send an email to Bobette Mussell ( bmussell@orcutt-schools.net) if there is a member at your site who needs attention from the OEA Social Committee. Bobette is our Social Chair and is happy to send a card, flowers, etc. on behalf of OEA.

7. I have attached your TEAM OEA so that you are aware of your Executive Board, Negotiation Team, Grievance Chair, Social Chair, and Site Reps. We are so lucky to have so many members involved.

Please let me know if you have any questions and/or concerns...I am happy to help you in any way I can!

Mahalo,

Monique

714-9861