Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1539593
How SCTA Members Built eir Power 2015 Expanding the Bargaining Team e foundation of SCTA's success is a strong, well-tested site structure that ensures members are informed about important issues across the district and guarantees their voices are heard and valued at a union leadership level when important decisions are being made that impact everyone. is took shape in 2014 when Davis Milevsky and David Fisher were first elected as pres- ident and vice president, respectively, bringing an organizing mindset to the union and willingness to do things differently. Up to this point, the SCTA Bargaining Team always had around five people at the table representing the voices of about 2,500 members. For the wage reopener bargain in 2015–16, Davis Milevsky and Fisher successfully proposed expanding the team to 20, inviting the executive board to join. "This was a new approach, but we knew that having more people on the bargaining team would build our union," Fisher says. "It increased representation and transparency in our bar- gaining process, and built trust among our membership, which has been the bedrock for all our progress." The bigger bargaining team was a success, with members feeling informed and heard, and even more members wanting to join the team and be at the table. When SCTA went into bar- gaining in 2016–17, the team had expanded to 70 members. is helped create a structure where every site had a member who was on the bargaining team, connected to union leadership and part of the decision-making process, and could keep members at the site informed about important news and asks. "It was the kind of structure we needed as we prepared to go on strike in 2017," Fisher said. "And it helped create the energy and build the power we needed for the major fights ahead." 2017 e Mayor & the Superintendent When Superintendent Jorge Aguilar arrived in SCUSD in the 2016–17 school year with a lot of big words and lofty ideas, educators and the community were hopeful for stable leader- ship the district desperately needed. Instead, it was the start of a turbulent time where educators and community would go toe-to-toe with the superintendent, school board, mayor and the Sacramento political establishment to fight for the schools their students deserved. SCTA organized as though they were going to go on strike from the very beginning of bargaining, creating strike teams and building kits to distribute to school sites. Up to that point, educators in Sac City were paid below average, while benefits were above average, compared to nearby school districts. When they went into bargaining, SCTA brought a lot SCTA's success over the past 10 years is rooted in inclusivity, transparency and solidarity with Sacramento students, families and communities. 35 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 5