This is from SFGATE via the AP:
The Oakland
Education Association, which represents the city's 3,000 teachers, said that
union leaders reached a four-year agreement that calls for teachers to receive
an 11 percent salary increase and one-time 3 percent bonus. The deal also
requires the district to reduce class sizes and hire more student support
staff, including special education teachers and counselors, the union said in a
statement.
Further down in the SFGATE piece:
Among their
demands was a 12 percent retroactive raise covering 2017 to 2020 to compensate
for what they say are among the lowest salaries for public school teachers in
the expensive San Francisco Bay Area.
A starting
salary for teachers at Oakland schools is $46,500 a year and the average salary
in the district is $63,000 a year.The union also called for the district to scrap plans to close as many as 24 schools that serve primarily African-American and Latino students. It fears more students will be lost to charter schools that drain more than $57 million a year from the district.
As part of
the deal, there will be a five-month pause on any school closures, the union
said.
The union
rejected two earlier salary proposals from the district, which initially
offered a 5 percent raise covering 2017 to 2020.
The talks
did not center on pension or health care benefits, which are free for full-time
workers and their beneficiaries.
Let me see if I have this correct? The district offered 5% while the teachers asked for 12%. They ended up after the strike getting 11% and a 3% onetime bonus. In addition, there are lower class sizes and a closing school moratorium. Not bad if you ask me.
From the Superintendent:
Oakland Unified Superintendent Kyla Johnson-Trammell says: "Today marks a sea change for OUSD as we take a major step in support of our teachers and students. Our teachers are the core of everything we do as a school district, and we are pleased to have reached a tentative agreement that shows them how valuable they are. The contract will help ensure more teachers stay in Oakland and that more come to teach in our classrooms and support our students."
Militancy works folks. I know, I know, we have the Taylor Law in NYS that penalizes striking public employees two days pay for every day out on strike so we can't even contemplate thinking about striking. We also make more money here in NYC. Granted, the Oakland strike was legal but some of the recent nationwide teacher strikes were illegal. We could beat the Taylor Law if we were to fight over our working conditions instead of just salary.
When it comes to working conditions (class sizes, safety, etc.) we have plenty to be militant about in NYC. The DOE has been violating state law on class sizes for over a decade and need I even say anything about unsafe schools and the quality of certain administrators?From the Superintendent:
Oakland Unified Superintendent Kyla Johnson-Trammell says: "Today marks a sea change for OUSD as we take a major step in support of our teachers and students. Our teachers are the core of everything we do as a school district, and we are pleased to have reached a tentative agreement that shows them how valuable they are. The contract will help ensure more teachers stay in Oakland and that more come to teach in our classrooms and support our students."
However, does the UFT fight or do the teachers demand it?
UPDATE: We have the class size reduction numbers in Oakland from Class Size Matters Director Leonie Haimson via Ed Notes. Oakland class size limits will be significantly lower than in NYC.
New @OaklandEA
agreement: district will lower class sizes caps in K to 23 students; 1st-3rd
grade to 26 ; 4th-5th gr to 29 & HS core subjects to 31; & by 2021 by
another student. (All these caps lower than current @UFT contract hasn't changed in 50
yrs https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ZGmLziSdPO0J5OsWMaDFO0uIpxK9M5HO …
18 comments:
This union and job are absolutely pathetic.
The friggin' UFT would never strike because that would mean they would loose their precious "seat at the table" with the Mayor and Cuomo. They are a bunch of pussies. However, teachers who strike would loose tenure for a year. That alone is a scary thought. You know that vindictive principals would clear out ever single veteran teacher the day after a strike ends.
If we ever were to strike, do you think we would be stupid enough to return without first having loss of tenure for a year waived?
A shithole place like Oakland gave that raise, and look what we got. Opt out now. Enough is enough.
Here is another...Now would be a good time to get 8.25% TDA back. NEW YORK––For the first time since 2010, Moody’s Investors Service has upgraded the City of New York’s General Obligation Bond credit rating. The rating was upgraded from Aa2 to Aa1, their second highest rating and equivalent to New York State’s Aa1 rating, which is significant because a local government is rarely rated as high as its home state. The Aa1 rating is the highest Moody’s credit rating the City has ever received.
Moody’s increased the City’s rating due to its increased economic diversity and decreased reliance on revenue from Wall St., its highly skilled workforce, first-class education and medical centers and low crime rates, among other factors. The upgrade is attributable to the City’s ongoing strong financial management – including the highest level of reserves the city has ever seen, affording it greater flexibility to respond to the next economic downturn.
Moody’s Investors Service rating can be found here.
“For the last five years, we’ve used the City’s budget to improve the lives of New Yorkers,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “Moody’s credit rating is validation of what we’ve always known: that you can be both a progressive and a strong fiscal manager.”
I see James removed a post about an anti semite, rep Omar. While he may consider this off topic, it is a reminder who the uft forces us to vote for, only Democrat, all the time,every time, no matter what. Another way the union had led us.
Hey Eric, The UFT endorses candidates. They don't force you to vote for anyone. Your vote belongs to you.
Please stay on topic. I am trying to keep the blog going so I don't want to be worrying over the comments. Just stay on topic please.
I agree with Eric. Anyway, what more proof do we need? Every city, across the country, now getting new contracts exceeding our last 12 years of raises. This is NYC, with billions of dollars in surplus, still waiting for all that retro on top of the tiny raises? Stop paying dues? Walkout? Expose the fraud in your school? Do something. It is clear unity isn't changing.
Seriously, why can't we get the 8.25 back? It was financial peril, now its not. I know we wont.
First class education? Ha. Nobody is college ready. Nobody can write in English. Nobody cares. Fraud all over.
This is like the Open market. As always, i will beg for help from April-August, I will get ignored, and back in the same shithole next year. The amazing part is, the people who I beg are people who never set foot in the classroom, dont worry about the disrespect, abuse or threats, dont get observed, dont worry about the lack of air conditioning, roaches, etc. That is uft and doe...
We won't get anything back because we don't demand it. Mulgrew and his cohorts have it good in their partnership with the city. Teachers need to vote Solidarity for any change. They will mostly vote for Mulgrew. Who's fault is that?
Why does my school have 40% turnover rate every year? I thought uft was looking into this type of stuff?
Huge storm into Monday. I'm sure since we have a seat at the table and the mayor and chancellor are friends with mulgrew, we surely wouldn't be forced to put our lives on the line traveling...
Another happy UFT member...I am a new teacher and have had nothing but problems with my principal and lack of support. I have been targeted. I can’t stand going to work. I get bad anxiety every Sunday knowing I have to go to work the next day. I have been crying almost every night and I’m very depressed. I’m having trouble functioning in my personal life and its beginning to effect my teaching.
I need to leave this school immediately, either through a new opening, new job, or leave of absence for mental health.
Does anyone know if I can take a leave of absence? Is it paid?
Does anyone know of any schools in the Bronx that are hiring?
Quit!! It's not the worth your health. I have to see a psychiatrist and now taking meds Because of this job. Don't let ppl tell you to transfer it's the same everywhere, don't stay for tenure, pension or summers off. It's only going to get worst. Trust me.
I could have written this this time last year. Resign. get out. My principal only got worse.
The corrupt nature of the DOe and UFt ruin people’s lives, meanwhile we have a contract that should be protecting us. I’ve aged way too fast in this job and this year it shows in everything I do. I wish you all the luck in the world that you find a good placement and can finally thrive. THE UFT WILL NOT HELP.
7:40, please email us at ICEUFT@gmail.com. We will do our best to help.
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