Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/72908
Meet your local negotiators MEET A FEW colleagues among the many who are working hard to enhance your teaching and working conditions and professional compensation. JIM McBRIDE San Joaquin Delta College Teachers Association Time spent before bargaining starts? I'd say around 50 hours. Major issues on the table? We gained a 3.46 percent pay increase, 1.73 percent for this year and 1.73 percent for next year, and part-time faculty will have a right to an automatic interview for full-time jobs. We kept health benefits. What is the best thing local members can do to support their bargaining team? Stay united behind the negotiating team. What do you get out of this role? I feel that faculty have rights and you only get what you bargained for. Folsom-Cordova Education Association Time spent before bargaining starts? I have 20 percent release time, which allows me five hours per week, plus time I spend on my own. Much of my time is answering questions from members about the contract. I get a lot busier during negotiations and probably spend eight to 10 hours a week. Major issues on the table? We earned new language on voluntary transfers (voluntary transfers were nonexistent in the last few years). We came up with PAR (Peer Assistance and Review) language that enables us to reinvigorate a program to give teachers more peer support. Even though there is no money from the state, this will allow new teachers to get some assistance. What is the best thing local members can do to support their bargaining team? Stay informed. Ask questions. What do you get out of this role? Other than high blood pressure? I get an appreciation for working with other people and I like working to solve problems. JENNIFER TARABOCHIA Western Placer Teachers Association (Rocklin) Time spent before bargaining starts? Before each session I spend at least three to five hours preparing myself and my team. We meet 20 to 30 times per year. Major issues on the table? We're bargaining stronger safety language and special education class size. What is the best thing local members can do to support their bargaining team? Organize, organize, organize. Stand behind your team that is fighting for what you want. Communicate your thoughts, needs and concerns often to your bargaining team members. What do you get out of this role? As bargaining chair, I have had the privilege of getting to know teachers from all levels. They never cease to impress me with their intelligence and dedication. It is their voices that help guide our bargaining team to the best decisions for our association. June/July 2012 www.cta.org 37 DAVE WERRA