Tentative Agreement reached between UESF & SFUSD. Details here.
Mediation Update
July 17, 2012
The UESF Bargaining Team last participated in mediation sessions with the SFUSD on July 11, 12, and 13. The next session is scheduled for July 23.
Mediation Session Today with the SFUSD
July 11, 2012
The UESF Bargaining Team meets again today in a mediation session with representatives from the SFUSD. The last sessions took place on June 27 and 28.
Flowchart Explaining Impact, Mediation, & Fact Finding Process
July 5, 2012
A visual presentation of the impasse, mediation, and fact finding processes.
Future Uncertain as Negotiators Work Through Mediation
June, 2012 SF Educator
For a review of the main unresolved issues at the bargaining table as we entered mediation, read the June 2012 SF Educator cover article.
Mediation Continues in Contract Talks with SFUSD
June 19, 2012
Yesterday the UESF Bargaining Team met for the fourth mediation session with representatives from the San Francisco Unified School District in ongoing contract talks. Mediation was certified at the request of the school district in late May.
During the mediation process, both sides of the table communicate via a state mediator. Mediation sessions also took place on June 11th and 12th. If a
In order to give the process the best chance of success, the UESF Bargaining Team has agreed with the mediator’s request not to publicize daily developments at the table. The next session will take place on June 27th.
Meanwhile, the Board of Education is considering its 2012-2013 budget at a Committee of the Whole meeting this evening at 555 Franklin, and then again next Tuesday at the regular session of the Board.
A quick review of the proposed budget (available here) by the SF Examiner found that the SFUSD is set to expand the budget for the central office by over 4% next school year, while simultaneously calling for furlough days, deep cuts to school site budgets, and other cuts to educators and students. The district’s decision to budget ‘Rainy Day’ money means they are already planning for layoffs next year.
UESF Members Vote 97% Yes in First Strike Vote
Will SFUSD Get the Message?
May 11, 2012
At the General Membership meeting last night, 97% of the 1880 UESF members who participated voted to authorize a second strike vote. The overwhelming vote is a strong rebuke to the San Francisco Unified School District, which is attempting to take advantage of the budget crisis by extracting tens of millions of dollars from our pockets, and permanently eliminating a fair chunk of our contract.
Read more >
SFUSD Declares Impasse – Moves One Step Closer to Imposing Contract
May 3, 2012
Strong turnout at the May 10th General Membership Meeting will send the message to SFUSD to get back to the table and settle a fair contract
At the end of negotiations today, representatives for the SFUSD declared impasse at the bargaining table. The move means the SFUSD is one step closer to imposing the contract on UESF members, including 18 furlough days over the next two years and cuts in Professional Development that would mean thousands of dollars in sacrifices from each and every one of us. (Click here to see how hard you will be hit if they succeed.)
The premature declaration of impasse is another example of the cavalier approach the district has taken to the negotiating process. In addition to the enormous cuts they seek, they have also proposed massive changes in our contracts ranging from gutting Special Education, to increasing K-3 class size, eliminating AP and Department Head Preps, to eliminating 27 days from Early Education, and more.
Often at the table, district representatives have had difficulty answering even simple questions about these proposals. The district has also called impasse before UESF has even had the opportunity to fully explore and respond to them.
Declaring impasse before even allowing the process to work is an insult to the men and women who do the work every day in the classroom. It’s not negotiating, it’s bullying, and it’s meant to intimidate us into accepting a contract that would not only cost us dearly, but would permanently eliminate many of our rights and benefits. And it would be disastrous for the quality of education our students would receive should the district prevail.
The best way to stop the district from following this terrible path they have set is to stand as one and demand that they return to the table and settle a fair contract.
Enough is Enough!
Join the Campaign for a Fair Contract and to Stop the Layoffs
April 17, 2012
In response to the outrageous concessions sought at the bargaining table by the SFUSD and the hundreds of arbitrary and unnecessary layoff notices sent by the district, last week UESF launched our Enough is Enough! organizing campaign.
The campaign centers around two basic goals: To get the SFUSD to rescind every layoff notice sent out this school year, and to stop the district from pushing through radical changes to the contract and $36 million in concessions despite having over $80 million in reserves and unexpected revenue to spend.
To start the campaign, we have delivered pledge cards to Building Representatives and Union Building Committees to distribute in schools across the district. The pledge cards include several actions that you can take part in to help ramp up pressure on the SFUSD to do the right thing.
Please sign this card and return it to your Building Rep or a UBC member as soon as you can. You can also fill out the online pledge card (no closed).
Please also take a moment to sign the online petition to Superintendent Garcia, Deputy Superintendent Carranza, and the members of the Board of Education today. The petition simply asks the leaders of the school district to spend the ample resources they have to rescind the layoffs and stop the furlough days and cuts. Please forward this petition to your friends, family, and neighbors.
Copies of a leaflet to distribute to parents before and after school will be available at the UESF Assembly meeting on Wednesday, April 18th at Ida B. Wells High School (1099 Hayes St.). The leaflet will be translated into Spanish and Chinese by the end of the week. More pledge cards will also be available at the meeting.
Next up is a rally at the Board of Education on April 24th. The rally at 555 Franklin St. will last from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m.
Thanks for your efforts. Standing together we can stop the layoffs, protect our contract, and defend our classrooms and our students from these unnecessary attacks.
SFUSD Proposes Massive Cuts to Early Education
April 10, 2012
In our April 10th Table Talk:
- SFUSD proposes shortening Early Education school year from 218 to 191 days.
- Proposed change would cost Early Education teachers as much as $4,300.
- Move could be disaster for paras working in Early Education.
- District seeks to force Early Education teachers to administer oral medications.
Table Talk – UESF Bargaining Team Proposes 2% Raise
In our March 20th Table Talk:
- UESF team proposes 2% raise and re-openers on compensation if a November tax initiative passes.
- SFUSD proposed changes to Special Education include higher class sizes, reduction of teacher rights, and removal of UESF appointed member of key committee.
- District seeks to reduce ten-day window on job postings to three days, and diminish substitutes’ pay.
- UESF team proposes training on restorative justice, seeks alternatives to suspensions.
Table Talk – District Demands Balloon to $35.6 Million
In our February 25th Table Talk:
- Administrators from SFUSD increased their demands from $30 million to $35.6 million.
- In addition to 10 furlough days, move would permanently eliminate AP Preps, Department Head Preps, CORE Subs, & Sabbaticals
- District proposal would mean permanent $5.2 million in yearly cuts.
UESF Video: Meet the UESF Bargaining Team
January 30, 2012
Table Talk – Contract Negotiations Open with SFUSD
January 30, 2012
In our first Table Talk:
- Introduction of the UESF Bargaining Team to the Board of Education
- Organization and Scheduling of Bargaining
- Review of Opening Positions
- Invite to February 8th Overview of Negotiations Process (see below)