ABCFT YOUnionews for February 11, 2022
CALL TO ACTION - LET YOUR VOICES BE HEARD at the School Board Meeting
As a part of the ABCFT YOUnity Work to Rule Campaign, ABCFT leadership is asking members and their families to wear their YOUnion blue and to join the informational picket prior to the ABC School Board meeting at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 15th. During the public comments section of the meeting, members are encouraged to read their letters to School Board members.
WHEN: Tuesday, February 15th at 5:30 p.m. for informational picketing as trustees arrive.
SCHOOL BOARD MEETING Timeline: Closed session starts at 5:30 p.m. The general session begins at 7:00 p.m
WHERE: ABCUSD School District Office - 16700 Norwalk Blvd. (Carpooling is encouraged since parking is limited due to the solar panel installation.) There is ample parking behind the district office.
FAQs:
Q: I want to read my letter to the school board. How do I go about doing that?
A: If you are attending the school board meeting in person, you can pick up a public comment card in the board meeting room. Complete the card and leave it in the designated container. The cards are called in the order they are received so be sure to turn in your card as soon as you arrive.
If you are viewing the meeting via Zoom, you will be asked to raise your hand if you want to make a comment during the second public comments time which is toward the end of the meeting.
Q: How much time do I have to speak?
A: Usually, public comments are limited to 5 minutes per speaker though the board can reduce the time to accommodate a large number of public comment speakers. If that happens then the limit is usually 3 minutes per speaker.
Q: Can I make a public comment without reading my letter?
A: Absolutely. Please do let the board know how you have been affected over the last two years and ask the board to show how they value ABC staff by accepting the latest ABCFT proposal.
Q: When will I be allowed to speak during the board meeting?
A: Generally, the first public comments section occurs about 45 minutes to an hour into the meeting. The last public comments section occurs toward the end of the meeting and is the only time people viewing the meeting via Zoom are allowed to speak.
Q: How do I access the meeting if I am at home?
A: You can access the meeting via cable television or Zoom. Links for both will be posted on the district website Tuesday. ABCFT will send an email to members providing the link details.
ABCFT YOUnity Work to Rule Picket Sign Slogans
ABCFT leadership encourages members to make picket signs as we march in front of the district office before the school board meeting at 5:30 on Tuesday, February 15th.
For the slogans, please refrain from using profanity and keep the message consistent. Remember, we want to express our urgency but not burn bridges for the future. Here are some possible slogans you can use.
“Appreciating me is PAYING me”
“We know our value, do you?”
“Schools over pools”
“Honor the legacy of teachers that taught you”
“If you can read this, thank a teacher”
“Negotiate don’t dictate”
“Energy comes from teachers, not solar panels”
“Actions, not words”
“You value ABC students by valuing their teachers”
“You can’t put students first if you pay teachers last”
“Invest in ABC Teachers”
“Invest in ABC Nurses”
“Elections Matter”
KEEPING YOU INFORMED - Negotiations Update By Ruben Mancillas
I have received a number of inquiries regarding the status of our negotiations so I am going to use a Q & A format to address them.
Q: What about that district I heard about that got that big raise?
A: I am always happy to hear about the successes that other districts may have achieved but I do like to see the details of any such agreements. The challenge is to be sure that you are comparing apples to apples. There are always improvements to be made but some of the impressive numbers that other districts report can come with a price. For example, there is a district with very good salary figures but they made a choice to do so by eroding their benefits package. In my experience, once you give up your benefits you will not get them back so this seems to be a poor long-term strategic decision for a shorter-term gain. Similarly, some of the districts that have higher salaries than ABC may also have larger class sizes and/or more duty days.
Q: What factors contribute to the numbers on the salary schedule?
A: There are multiple factors to consider when comparing compensation such as; ADA which is the amount of money a school district gets per student based on daily attendance. Each district gets a different amount of money per student based on the grade level of the student or if the student is considered “unduplicated”. Students are identified as unduplicated when they are foster youth, homeless, English Language learners, and Free and Reduced Lunch recipients (socio-economically disadvantaged).
Therefore, each district receives an unequal amount of State money based on their student population. For example for the 2020-21 school year, ABC has an unduplicated student population (UDP)of about 55% in comparison to the Norwalk La Mirada district has a UDP of about 73%, Bellflower USD has a UDP of about 75%, Downey USD has a UDP of about 70%, and Long Beach USD has a UDP of about 67% which ensures that the districts are getting a significantly larger amount of money per student.
In addition to the unduplicated pupil enrollment supplemental monies, we also have to consider class sizes. Often we hear about how Downey’s salary schedule is higher but you have to take into account that their class sizes are higher than ABC. Another factor is the number of contracted days that teachers and nurses work. In ABC we work a total of 184 contractual days consisting of 180 instructional days and 4 student free days; however, over 50% of the districts in LA County have additional days added to their contract days. Every two days added to the contract equals a little over a 1% increase in salary.
Another contributing factor is the balancing of Health Benefits as part of total compensation. ABC has one of the top ten family benefits packages in all of LA County. In many districts, only the individual employee is covered and the employee must pay additional money to include their family in their health care package. For example, teachers in Norwalk La Mirada pay up to an additional $3000 out of pocket to have their families included in their health care plans.
There are other factors that have an influence on the final salary schedules but these are the important factors that the negotiating team considers when proposing a salary compensation package.
Q: When was the last time we received a raise?
A: We received a 3% increase on our salary schedule in 2019-2020. We also received a 2% off-schedule one-time payment.
Q: How does COLA work? If there is a 2% COLA can we expect a 2% on schedule raise? How does the negotiating team determine the percent raise they ask for when negotiating with the district?
A: Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) is the number of ongoing dollars the state provides for education. Districts are provided funds based on enrollment and attendance so we receive funding based on the number of students we serve. That is why the concept of “declining enrollment” is significant for negotiations; it means that there is less money available for increases to the salary schedule.
So the district may receive a 2% COLA but if enrollment has declined that equates to a reduction or a cost. Similarly, if there were to be an increase in the cost of benefits those dollars would come from the COLA. As would any increase the district needs to contribute to our STRS retirement fund. Thus there is not a one-to-one correlation between the COLA and the amount we are able to bargain for on the salary schedule.
Q: You mentioned that we received a 3% on-schedule raise in 2019-2020. What happened in 2020-2021?
A: We did not receive an on-schedule raise during 2020-2021. The state provided us with flat funding or a zero Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) last year so there was no money available for ongoing compensation on the salary schedule. COVID made 2020-2021 “the pandemic year” in terms of funding. Districts were held harmless regarding attendance and one-time money was available but not ongoing dollars.
Credit to the negotiating team, however, for what they were able to achieve during such a difficult year. ABCFT’s priority, which we heard clearly communicated during our YOUnion chats, was to focus on the health and safety of our members and our students. We bargained for a model which featured an asynchronous Wednesday all year long. We did not rush back into the classroom when so many questions remained but were able to return to a simultaneous hybrid model after vaccines became more available in the spring. And when we did return we were able, unlike many districts, to do so with additional compensation attached. Many of our members, CTE included, were able to earn an additional $400 a week during the weeks of our in-person instruction. If this amount were to be represented as the equivalent of a one-time payment the percentage would vary but, for example, a TK-12 teacher making the district average salary the increase would be 4.5%.
Q: What is the difference between on-schedule and off-schedule?
A: An on-schedule raise is referred to in that manner because it shows up on your salary schedule. It is ongoing and helps your final compensation when you factor in your retirement with STRS. On schedule raises are ABCFT’s preferred mode of compensation for this reason and is our priority at the table.
An off-schedule payment comes as a one-time check and is typically factored in as a percentage of your overall salary. For a number of years, the state sent one-time money to districts so we utilized this as a method of compensation.
The crucial difference for the district is that off-schedule is one-time and thus not ongoing while on-schedule is permanently a part of the salary schedule and must be factored into all ongoing expenses.
Q: I understand that a union is not a transaction but what has ABCFT been able to bargain for me in terms of compensation?
A: Great question. Let’s look at the record over the last eight years:
In 2020-2021, I referred to the additional compensation we were able to achieve despite flat funding statewide. We also had a 15% retirement incentive.
In 2019-2020, we bargained for a 3% on-schedule increase to the salary schedule. We also received a 2% off-schedule payment. This year contained a 15% retirement incentive as well.
In 2018-2019, we bargained for a 2% on-schedule increase to the salary schedule and a 2% off-schedule payment. This was also the year we were able to raise our hourly pay to $40 per hour and $50 per hour for an additional period option.
In 2017-2018, we bargained for a 0.5 % on-schedule increase to the salary schedule and a 1% off-schedule payment. This was the year we increased the stipend schedule by 15%.
In 2016-2017, we bargained for a 1% on-schedule increase to the salary schedule and a 1% off-schedule payment.
In 2015-2016, we bargained for a 4% on-schedule increase to the salary schedule and a 1% off-schedule payment. This was also the first year of an increase to hourly pay to $35.
In 2014-2015, we bargained for a 3% on-schedule increase to the salary schedule.
In 2013-2014, we bargained for a 4% on-schedule increase to the salary schedule.
So from 2013 to 2020, we were able to increase our salary schedule by 17.5% This figure is not compounded, the rate goes up if this is factored in. During this same time period, we received 7% in off-schedule payments and saw our hourly rate increase from $30 to $40 and to $50 for additional period options as well as increase our stipend schedule by 15%.
The negotiating team was able to achieve these gains for our members without sacrificing benefits or class sizes. Our benefits package is strong, particularly for the fact that we still offer free health coverage for a member’s entire family via Kaiser and Trio. Let me please offer a public thank you to our stellar team and all of the time they volunteer to serve our members: Jill Yasutake, Patty Alcantar, Laura Lacar, Daren Ham, Tanya Golden, and Ray Gaer.
In YOUnity,
ABCFT PRESIDENT’S REPORT - Ray Gaer Communication is a union’s most important tool for advocating for its members at the bargaining table. Every conversation with the membership is focused on the end result of negotiating for the future prosperity and wellbeing of ABCFT members. This weekly report aims to keep the membership informed about issues that impact their working/learning conditions and their mental well-being. Together we make the YOUnion.
Today is day five of the ABCFT YOUnity work-to-rule campaign. This work-to-rule campaign could be over if the board members weren't so stubborn and focused on using teachers and students as stepping stones for their political futures. Others on the board don't see the damage they are doing to ABCUSD’s reputation but the fact remains that the school board president, Soo Yoo, could have called an emergency board meeting to discuss the ABCFT proposal and this Work to Rule campaign could have been over days ago. Why the School Board has chosen to wait in this manner is a mystery but the resulting erosion of trust is a certainty. One thing is for certain, delaying the resolution of negotiations doesn’t make rational sense in any way and only damages the reputation of our beloved district.
All the organizing that ABCFT has been doing over the last decade has paid off over this past week in the form of a work-to-rule campaign that has united members as never before. This fight is not just about the dollars but it is about the respect we deserve as professionals. Each day of this campaign I’ve worked with the ABCFT Officers and Negotiating team to ensure that we are coordinating our actions, our message, and our focus on the success of our campaign so that it will have a positive impact on our negotiations.
Teachers and nurses are showing incredible solidarity of purpose. Many are using this time as a way to teach younger teachers that they have the right to question the administration and board and that this situation is what happens when a school board thinks they know more than the professionals in the classroom. Elections matter and there is a school board election in November.
None of us achieved our respective certifications and went into debt from college to be treated like brainless minions for a school board that for the most part doesn't understand the time spent away from our families for our students.
When a workload increases, then the salary should increase in juxtaposition with those demands. Any math teacher will tell you that the numbers have to be balanced on both sides of the equation. The ABCUSD equation is not in balance.
We demand the pay we deserve for our extra efforts over the past two years. We deserve the dignity of being treated with respect. We deserve to be treated as professionals. We demand a pay raise for the sacrifices we make for our students. We demand a wage that honors our own families!
We are the mighty mighty YOUnion!
In YOUnity,
Ray Gaer
President, ABCFT
