Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1500904
Bargaining Roundup Compiled by Julian Peeples HAYWARD: ESPs demand benefit relief Members of the Association of Educational Office and Techni- cal Employees (AEOTE) rallied in late May as they continue to fight for a monthly stipend to help offset the cost of Hayward Unified School District's expensive healthcare plan. Along with paraeducators and maintenance & operations workers represented by SEIU 1021, AEOTE members showed that ESPs in Hayward are united for the affordable health ben- efits they deserve. "What we're asking for is fair and reasonable, when our members' struggle just to make ends meet is exacerbated by district healthcare costs passed on to them and their families," said AEOTE president Deisy Bates. " The classified employee units in this district are united in standing up for what is right." AEOTE members are paying exorbitant out-of-pocket costs for health benefits. Library media tech Ailssa Pigman pays $1,025 a month to insure herself, but her husband and daugh- ter go uninsured because the total cost of a whopping $3,700 is unaffordable for her family. Office manager Martha Castro pays $900 a month out of pocket every month. "When there's only one income, it hurts you really bad," she says. "After rent and insurance, your paycheck is gone." AEOTE has declared impasse and negotiations are ongoing. AEOTE president Deisy Bates at the rally. FRESNO COUNT Y: Educators organize and win Fresno County Schools Office of Educators Associ- ation (FCSOEA) organized during a lengthy contract campaign and won an agreement in late-May that will help attract and retain quality educators. FCSOEA won an 8% pay increase for 2022-23 and a 6% raise for 2023-24. Additionally, educators won $2 ,200 more for their healthcare over the two- year period. The agreement came after a scant 20 hours of negotiations occurred between September 2022 and April 2023 before FCSOEA and Fresno County Super- intendent of Schools (FCSS) headed into mediation. FCSOEA members organized to fight back against the lack of respect that was having an impact on county office educators: a poll found that more than 35 percent reported they were considering looking for employment elsewhere, citing pay and feeling valued as the major reasons. FCSOEA members held numerous rallies, building support and strength that powered them to victory. 34 cta.org Advocacy