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September 23 Certificated Bargaining Update

HTEC Members,

Friday evening we met with the CMO for a one-hour bargaining session. During that session, our bargaining team presented an updated comprehensive contract proposal.

Our proposal continues to include proposed agreements on Hours, Leaves, Benefits, Class Size, and Effect (duration) of our final union contract, while also adding an agreement on Recognition (establishing our bargaining unit).

The remaining differences in our proposal include:

Discipline/Employment Status

Full counter-proposal Here

Earlier this month, half of our membership participated in a video calling on the CMO to put actions behind their words by agreeing to a fair and transparent grievance process that would hold HTH accountable if it wrongfully terminates a teacher. Additionally, more than 190 educators and parents joined the September 12 board meeting–on a Monday at noon–to call on the CMO to provide real accountability, with binding arbitration by a neutral third party, for teachers who believe they were unfairly dismissed or disciplined.

We strongly believe that the CEO of HTH has a vested interest in protecting the organization – not the teacher – when it has done wrong. We continue to propose that the CEO play an advisory role in the appeal process but that a neutral party should settle disputes. We believe this balances the interest of all parties by allowing the CEO a voice in the process while still providing for fairness and transparency.

Additional updates to our last proposal include:

Wages

Full counter-proposal Here

We provided a counter offer to the CMO’s bonus structure that more evenly distributes a retention bonus for educators that returned for this school year. Under our proposal, returning full-time educators placed on step 8 or higher would receive $3,900 ($1,850 for part-time). Returning full-time educators on steps 7 or less would receive $1,600 ($800 for part-time).

While our proposal includes lesser bonus amounts, it results in approximately 40 more HTEC members receiving the higher amount than previously proposed by the CMO.

We believe structuring the bonus based on placement on the salary schedule versus date of hire provides equity for all educators in the middle of the pay scale, which lags in comparison to surrounding schools. Correcting the horseshoe effect of our pay scale is a long-term goal of our bargaining team, and we believe providing a larger bonus for more educators in this circumstance helps in the interim.

Layoffs

Full counter-proposal here

Our counter-proposal on layoffs accepts most of the CMO’s previous proposal, including viewing the unlikely circumstance of layoffs on a school-by-school basis; creating a hybrid criteria for determining the order of layoff that incorporates seniority, performance and credential area; and the establishment of a committee to create the criteria for how those factors are applied in practice.

Our proposal also reverts to our previous proposal that laid off educators will have priority for re-employment during 18 months.

Assignments and Transfers

Full counter-proposal here

We largely accepted the CMO’s last proposal for Assignments and Transfers. Our proposal just clarifies the CMO’s stated intent that involuntary transfers would be for non-disciplinary personnel matters.

Collective Rights

Full counter-proposal here

The work of our union is important and time consuming. We also strongly believe that the business of our Collective and the priorities of educators are inherently the business of High Tech High. That is why we are continuing to push for meaningful release time for a Collective officer to be able to focus on the issues that members find most important.

The CMO previously proposed limiting release time to one 5-day period each school year. It is not possible to do all Collective business within one week of a school year, and we believe that our leadership should be able to determine the manner in which these days are taken. We also believe that the number of days available for release needs to be increased. Our proposal includes a maximum of 15 release days for a Collective representative each school year.

Management Rights

Full counter-proposal here

In presenting their proposal July 6, the CMO’s bargaining team stated that three weeks is enough time for them to address any emergency situations in which they would exercise their legal right to take action for operational necessity, even if it violates the contract.

However, the actual proposal they made stated that this right would extend for 15 instructional days. This creates situations where the emergency exception could last well beyond three weeks if it occurs around a holiday, school recess or any other non-student day.

Our counter proposal limits this time period to 21 calendar days to match the CMO’s previously stated intent.

In addition, we removed the section that the CMO inserted into their last proposal which would send the topic to impasse if we don’t agree to new contract language within 15 calendar days. In practice, we believe that this could result in the CMO being able to permanently change the terms of our contract beyond an emergency period.

Our next meeting with the CMO is scheduled for October 4, when the CMO will provide a comprehensive response to our proposals. We hope the CMO will view our proposal as we do: a fair agreement that can be ratified by both parties and quickly implemented.

All Sept 23 Bargaining Proposals

In Unity,

The HTEC Bargaining Team

Hayden Gore, HTM Chula Vista
Grady Gumner, HTE Mesa
Charley Jacob, HTH North County
Jennifer Merrill, HTE Point Loma
Chris Mutter, HTH International
Chris Olivas, HTM North County
Roxanne Sepehri, HTE North County
Carly Sumrow, HTM Chula Vista
Mary Williams, HTM Point Loma

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