Parents, Students, Teachers, workers and allies of the workers movement in West Contra Costa Unified School district and beyond.
Classes began in WCCUSD schools on August 24th. Teachers are working under conditions imposed by the school district. Teachers and parents have reported these conditions in schools.
Classes had as many as 55 students; others were in the high 40's. There were not enough chairs and desks for all the students. Some students sat on the floor until chairs were found; desks were not provided to go with the extra chairs. Some students sat at counters. Students at counters had to twist their bodies to write things down. Improper seating, lack of a desk and forcing children to twist and bend to write is an ergonomic hazard. Children's bodies are still developing and poor posture due to lack of chairs and desks may lead to future orthopedic damage. It was hard to hear the teachers over the background din of noise. Following the lesson and getting one on one attention from the teacher was difficult. Students have been placed in classes that are inappropriate for their ability level. At Kennedy High School, some classes had 65 students.
Imposed cuts to Kindergarten teachers’ preparation time and increased duties take teachers' time from our most vulnerable young students who are just beginning their education. This is a prescription for destroying quality education. In some elementary schools, there are 34 in K, and 28 in second grade.
District Imposed cuts in health insurance benefits are a take away done in bad faith. For years the teachers in WCCUSD traded cash/wages for their health insurance benefits. This trade off put our teachers’ salaries below many in the surrounding districts. Cuts in health insurance benefits increase the stress on the teachers and their families. By taking away the security provided by their current health insurance plan, teachers will be worrying about their families instead of giving their full attention to their students.
UTR and the district return to the table on Monday, August 31st. However, the district is prepared to pay $325.00/day for labor scabs. We call on parents, students, community groups, labor unions and worker activists to support direct actions. Support a teachers’ strike by setting up strike schools and strike kitchens. We need your help to mobilize our communities.
On Saturday August 29, and Sunday August 30, at 10:00 am we will meet at the Richmond Civic Center Auditorium 403 Civic Center Plaza in Richmond and give out fliers to be distributed to our school communities. We are inviting teacher members and allies to join us.
West Contra Costa Community for Quality Education,
Progressive Teachers of UTR Contact 510 501 7347
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Community Support Needed for Teachers
Parents, Students, Teachers, workers and allies of the workers movement in West Contra Costa Unified School district and beyond.
Our teachers have been working without a contract since July of 2008. During this time the teachers and their representatives in the negotiations with the School Board have negotiated in good faith. That good faith is demonstrated by the fact that our teachers have continued to teach, our students day in and day out, without a contract. During these negotiations the School Board has unilaterally imposed cuts that attacks the quality of education.
Last Thursday August 20th the workers of the UTR voted a strike authorization which the president of the UTR hopes will show the School Board how serious the teachers are. With a 93% approval vote there can be no doubt the teachers are fed up with the disingenuous negotiations of the School Board. All the while the union busting School Board has been preparing to pay up to $325.00 per day for scab labor.
Although many teachers joined parents fighting against the school closures last spring, the UTR did not organize strikes or occupations of schools in order to stop the closures, layoffs, increases in class size or cuts in programs. In hind sight this inaction on the part of the union has only emboldened the School Board which has become more and more inflexible.
As school is set to open our children will face the following destruction of the quality of their education:
1) Increase in class size “to ratio” instead of “to maximum” means some classes may have as many as 45-50 students enrolled. These are not conditions conducive to teaching youth. Rather they are conditions that warehouse youth.
2) Imposed cuts to Kindergarten teachers preparation time and increased duties take away time our teachers have for our most vulnerable young students just entering the school system. This is not how trained professional educators should have to work and this is a prescription for the destruction of educational quality.
3) Imposed cuts to health care benefits are a take away done in bad faith. For years the teachers in the UTR traded cash/wages for their health program. This trade of increased wages for health benefits put our teachers salaries below many in the surrounding districts. This increases the stress on the teachers and their families. By taking away the security provided by their current health plan our teachers will be worrying more about their families while we expect them to give our children their full attention.
We understand that as Fredrick Douglas taught us “Power concedes nothing with out a demand!” only when we make our demand concrete through action can we win. A winning strategy is for the UTR teachers is to strike immediately before the class rooms are organized. The teachers should not prepare their class rooms for the scabs to easily take over. The UTR should call on the parents, students, community groups, labor unions and worker activists to help keep the scabs out of our schools and to set up Strike Schools and Strike Kitchens to educate our children and keep the community mobilized during the strike.
Our strike schools will teach more in the few weeks we will need to win the strike than Arnie Duncan’s or the forced curriculum and teach to the test method of “No Child Left Alive” can teach in a year. Parents we can only win by keeping our children out of school and organized during a strike. On Saturday August 29, and Sunday August 30 at 10:00 am we will meet at the Richmond Civic Center Auditorium 403 Civic Center Plaza in Richmond and divide up the fliers to be distributed to our school communities. We are inviting members and other allies to join us.
West Contra Costa Community for Quality Education,
Progressive Teachers of UTR Contact 510 501 7347
Our teachers have been working without a contract since July of 2008. During this time the teachers and their representatives in the negotiations with the School Board have negotiated in good faith. That good faith is demonstrated by the fact that our teachers have continued to teach, our students day in and day out, without a contract. During these negotiations the School Board has unilaterally imposed cuts that attacks the quality of education.
Last Thursday August 20th the workers of the UTR voted a strike authorization which the president of the UTR hopes will show the School Board how serious the teachers are. With a 93% approval vote there can be no doubt the teachers are fed up with the disingenuous negotiations of the School Board. All the while the union busting School Board has been preparing to pay up to $325.00 per day for scab labor.
Although many teachers joined parents fighting against the school closures last spring, the UTR did not organize strikes or occupations of schools in order to stop the closures, layoffs, increases in class size or cuts in programs. In hind sight this inaction on the part of the union has only emboldened the School Board which has become more and more inflexible.
As school is set to open our children will face the following destruction of the quality of their education:
1) Increase in class size “to ratio” instead of “to maximum” means some classes may have as many as 45-50 students enrolled. These are not conditions conducive to teaching youth. Rather they are conditions that warehouse youth.
2) Imposed cuts to Kindergarten teachers preparation time and increased duties take away time our teachers have for our most vulnerable young students just entering the school system. This is not how trained professional educators should have to work and this is a prescription for the destruction of educational quality.
3) Imposed cuts to health care benefits are a take away done in bad faith. For years the teachers in the UTR traded cash/wages for their health program. This trade of increased wages for health benefits put our teachers salaries below many in the surrounding districts. This increases the stress on the teachers and their families. By taking away the security provided by their current health plan our teachers will be worrying more about their families while we expect them to give our children their full attention.
We understand that as Fredrick Douglas taught us “Power concedes nothing with out a demand!” only when we make our demand concrete through action can we win. A winning strategy is for the UTR teachers is to strike immediately before the class rooms are organized. The teachers should not prepare their class rooms for the scabs to easily take over. The UTR should call on the parents, students, community groups, labor unions and worker activists to help keep the scabs out of our schools and to set up Strike Schools and Strike Kitchens to educate our children and keep the community mobilized during the strike.
Our strike schools will teach more in the few weeks we will need to win the strike than Arnie Duncan’s or the forced curriculum and teach to the test method of “No Child Left Alive” can teach in a year. Parents we can only win by keeping our children out of school and organized during a strike. On Saturday August 29, and Sunday August 30 at 10:00 am we will meet at the Richmond Civic Center Auditorium 403 Civic Center Plaza in Richmond and divide up the fliers to be distributed to our school communities. We are inviting members and other allies to join us.
West Contra Costa Community for Quality Education,
Progressive Teachers of UTR Contact 510 501 7347
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
WALK NOW! Students Not a Priority
WALK NOW!
The latest UTR Newsline dated August 3rd reports that on July 29, the WCCUSD School Board voted to pay scabs $325 a day and authorized rent-a-cops to keep us in line. Cap health care for active and retired. Health Plan for Blue Shield: Single ($577.33) 2-Person ($1,154.66) Family ($1,501.06). Plan for Kaiser: Single ($532.56) 2-Person (1,065.12) Family ($1,384.66).
It also announced UTR Members to Vote on Strike Authorization at August 20 Meeting. The district's actions clearly reflect their priorities and devalues rank-and-file workers. Now it is our battle. When we meet on August 20, change the tone.
VOTE to STRIKE NOW!
Demands
1) Restore Class Size K-3, 20:1
2) Rescind the lay-off notices for 125 teachers laid-off in May
3) Restore Quality Education. Bring back music, art, sports…
4) Hands off teachers wage and benefit package!
5) Keep Class Size Maximums
On August 20 we must act together and vote to STRIKE! WALK NOW!
Show the bosses that we are ready to battle for our students and our rights.
When we meet on August 20;
Form STRIKE COMMITTEES in each job site. NO SCABS!
Organize massive marches, job actions, rolling informational picket lines
Media messages, press conferences, community forums
Reach out to our sisters and brothers in Local 1, coordinate meetings with all workers
Parent Liaisons, Open Strike Schools
Build Inter union labor actions
DON'T LIE DOWN NOW!
Diane Brown
The latest UTR Newsline dated August 3rd reports that on July 29, the WCCUSD School Board voted to pay scabs $325 a day and authorized rent-a-cops to keep us in line. Cap health care for active and retired. Health Plan for Blue Shield: Single ($577.33) 2-Person ($1,154.66) Family ($1,501.06). Plan for Kaiser: Single ($532.56) 2-Person (1,065.12) Family ($1,384.66).
It also announced UTR Members to Vote on Strike Authorization at August 20 Meeting. The district's actions clearly reflect their priorities and devalues rank-and-file workers. Now it is our battle. When we meet on August 20, change the tone.
VOTE to STRIKE NOW!
Demands
1) Restore Class Size K-3, 20:1
2) Rescind the lay-off notices for 125 teachers laid-off in May
3) Restore Quality Education. Bring back music, art, sports…
4) Hands off teachers wage and benefit package!
5) Keep Class Size Maximums
On August 20 we must act together and vote to STRIKE! WALK NOW!
Show the bosses that we are ready to battle for our students and our rights.
When we meet on August 20;
Form STRIKE COMMITTEES in each job site. NO SCABS!
Organize massive marches, job actions, rolling informational picket lines
Media messages, press conferences, community forums
Reach out to our sisters and brothers in Local 1, coordinate meetings with all workers
Parent Liaisons, Open Strike Schools
Build Inter union labor actions
DON'T LIE DOWN NOW!
Diane Brown
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