Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1419056
EVERGREEN: Rally for safe and healthy schools Evergreen Teachers Associa‑ tion members in San Jose rallied in September to demand that the school district administration and school board do more to ensure that our schools are safe. Educators say that administrators failed to adequately plan and prepare a safe physical reopening of Evergreen schools, including: • No testing or contact tracing system in place at the start of the school year. • Failure to complete a ventilation report, as agreed to in April. • No updated safety plan in place until after the school year began. • Failure to hire adequate staff for students with special needs, and no first-day plan to address it. ETA called on the school board to provide the resources schools need to protect students and staff, and show that health and safety are a priority. PASADENA: Safe reopening dates United Teachers of Pasadena fought back against a unilateral imposition by Pasadena Unified School District regarding the reopening date for district schools. The parties had an active MOU in effect, which clearly stated that the date of return to in-person instruction was negotiable. Working with local leaders and staff, the CTA Legal Department drafted a cease-and-desist letter that was sent to the district. Both parties returned to the bargaining table, and a new plan to safely reopen schools was agreed to. The approach is a scaf- folding reopening, with lower grades opening first, and then upper grades opening a week later. The new language also provides three student-free days for educators to reacclimate to their school sites and classrooms. TWO ROCK: One-year deal reached By implementing countywide coordinated bargaining strategies, Two Rock Education Association in Petaluma achieved a one- year agreement with a 5 percent on-schedule wage increase as well as a change to the salary schedule that results in approximately 1.5 to 1.7 percent in additional pay increases. TREA also won an additional $1,200 annually toward health care, along with district-paid disability insurance and life insurance. MILPITAS: COVID leave extended Milpitas Teachers Association successfully negotiated an agreement that would require Milpitas Unified School District to provide COVID-19 leave for certificated members, as described in Senate Bill 95, beyond the expiration of the legislation until the end of the 2021-22 school year. REDLANDS: Bonus for vaccinations To incentivize members of their local chapters to get vaccinated, Redlands Teachers Association and Redlands Education Support Professionals Association negotiated an agreement with Redlands Unified School District that provides a cash bonus to all educators who get vaccinated. Each member who shows proof of their second shot (or first shot if they received the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine) will be paid a $250 bonus. Encouraging the last certificated and classified staff to get vaccinated benefits all parties and helps create a safe environment for the entire school community. 36 cta.org Advocacy