KEEPING YOU INFORMED - Negotiations Update By Ruben Mancillas
This week I visited Cerritos and Leal Elementary schools for some good conversations. A number of questions we received are interrelated. For example, the issue of what collaboration minutes will look like next year is going to be an ongoing discussion. I think it is important to make the distinction between our 40 minutes of elementary planning time, which was increased from 30 minutes during our last master contract, and any additional collaboration minutes, which can be directed by an administrator. Some sites use different labels, (rotations, etc.) but for the sake of consistency I will use the terms planning time, which is individual, and collaboration time, which is contingent on a number of site specific factors. The reasonable question is being asked, “how are we supposed to do everything we are asked to do with less collaboration time?” A reasonable reply is, “we are going to have to reexamine our priorities and be prepared to take something off of our plate.” It is not a realistic expectation to do more with less.
This can lead to questions regarding banking minutes. The process for banking minutes was reviewed at last week’s rep council meeting but my suggestion is to have a definite plan for how any proposed minutes are to be utilized. Banking minutes can be a tool that a site chooses to use but I would recommend that a detailed plan be presented so that teachers can make an informed choice about working additional minutes for a targeted purpose. If a site wants to accomplish identified goal X, they should only bank enough minutes for goal X, not for Y and Z as well. And if X truly is the sole need, what other ways are there to meet that goal besides banking minutes?
Oftentimes I will receive questions about what comes out of a site’s budget compared to what comes out of the district budget. My short answer is that it all comes from the same place. Sites may have specific funding sources and categorical spending can be limited for specific purposes but in the end it is all sourced from the district budget. It feels like a bit of a false choice if a site is being told that they have to find the funds or not pay for one program due to site budget limitations. Again, returning to the concept of priorities, if a program is a priority for the district, the district will often find a way to fund it.
A reminder: stipends will be discussed at the bargaining table. A goal regarding our extra pay for extra duty schedule is to not only talk about how much stipends are but to ensure that they are accurate. If a listed stipend is actually being used for another purpose, let’s clearly define what it is and what it is being used for.. By correctly identifying our current practice we can hopefully have the stipend schedule be more responsive to a site’s needs. We may need to add new stipends, we may need to augment current stipends, and we also may need to repurpose some of the ones currently listed. This could also lead to a productive discussion of what is currently an adjunct duty and what would be helpful to move to a stipend position. Again, many of these issues are linked; how to identify priorities and then target our limited resources to better support our teachers and nurses so that they can help our students achieve their best.
In Unity,
ARE YOU CURIOUS ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A SITE REPRESENTATIVE?
Are you interested in leadership opportunities and opportunities for leadership training, if yes, then consider being an ABCFT Site Representative. The ABCFT site representative acts as a mediator, problem solver, leadership builder, teacher/nurse voice in decision making, contract language translator, educates staff of their rights, organizes and mobilizes members, becomes part of the institutional and cultural memory, and becomes the bridge between members and the union leadership.
Here are some key responsibilities of a site representative. This document overviews some duties, responsibilities, and expectations of an ABCFT Site Representative.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1essKuVWkT9BNAa67rKP9m7m_2mJPtjiUo3IsedTzvAA/edit?usp=sharing
Learn how to advocate for the needs of your students and your colleagues and participate in a broader district role that helps shape the ABC Unified School District. This district is thriving because teachers like you got involved in the union and shaped the direction and culture of ABC. Learn how the contract protects your working conditions and provides guard rails for success for administrators and their staff.
The ABC Federation of Teachers will provide leadership training and mentorship for leadership opportunities. If this sounds like your next step in improving yourself as a teacher and leader, please consider joining the ranks of the ABCFT Site Representatives.
Teacher Leader Showcase
CFT CONVENTION REPORT
Call to CFT Convention 2025
March 13-16, 2025, San Diego CA
The 80th Convention of the CFT is hereby called to convene at the Westin Gaslamp Quarter in San Diego on Friday, March 14, 2025, at the hour of 10 a.m. and will remain in session three days or until such time as it has given full consideration to such matters as legally may be brought before it.
— Jeffery M. Freitas, President
A Twenty-nine member delegation from ABCFT is attending this bi-annual convention. ABCFT has the largest delegation of all the locals in California and therefore will have the loudest voice on the debate floor for the CFT Convention. This is made possible by your dues which will provide delegates with valuable professional training and opportunities to represent the ABCFT membership at the state and national level. The power of the union is in our numbers. When other unions are scant with delegates, ABCFT has a dynamic team of new and veteran delegates to help shape the California Federation of Teachers policy. ABC STRONG!
A Full Convention Report will be posted in next week’s YOUnionews
ABCFT PRESIDENT’S REPORT - Ray Gaer
Consistent and regular communication is a union’s most important tool for advocating for its members at the bargaining table. Every conversation with members is focused on the result of negotiating for the future prosperity and well-being of ALL ABCFT members. This weekly report informs members about issues impacting their working/learning conditions and mental well-being. Our work as a Union is a larger conversation and united, we make the YOUnion.
As I stated in the CFT Convention report I am with the delegates for this bi-annual event. We have a big team that shows our union's health for all to see. ABCFT is a force within CFT. I’m pressed for time so excuse the light nature of our news this week. We are working hard to represent the needs and insightful voices of ABCFT members. The valuable insights you provide about the current funding state or the teaching profession play out in the convention. Your delegation will deliver your messages about what is best for teachers/nurses and their students. We will have much more to report next week, including resolutions, state legislative directions, and other dramas that play out at the state level.
Have a good Friday and a great weekend!
In YOUnity,
Ray Gaer
President, ABCFT
AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS
Follow AFT President Randi Weingarten: http://twitter.com/rweingarten
----- Stay tuned next week for our news catch up from around the state and globe
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