Negotiations

UESF Members Vote to Ratify Contract Settlement with SFUSD

The UESF Election Committee, chaired by Mary Anne Wold, certified that the UESF membership has ratified the contract settlement with SFUSD. In total, 1211 valid ballots were returned to the UESF Office by 5:00 p.m. on September 20th. Of those, 1000 (82.6%) voted yes, and 211 (17.4%) voted no.

When the Board of Education ratifies the contract at their next meeting, the contract will become official and copies will be printed and distributed to all UESF members. Information about the gains in the new contract is available here:

All ballots for the tentative contract agreement between UESF and SFUSD are due in the UESF office by 5:00 p.m. this Thursday, September 20th. Please note that ballots postmarked after Monday, September 17th may not make it to the UESF office by the deadline.

You may also hand-deliver your ballot directly to the UESF office (2310 Mason St. at Bay St.) up until the 5:00 p.m. Thursday deadline.

Negotiators for UESF and SFUSD reached a tentative agreement on our contract talks over this past weekend. Both district and union negotiators worked hard to ensure that an agreement was reached before the beginning of the new school year. It took a marathon, 17-hour weekend session to get there.

The District revealed that the agreement includes a 3% raise starting in January, 2008, for teachers and paraprofessionals. In addition, teachers will receive a $225 classroom supply budget this year and paraprofessionals will receive an additional paid professional development day this year and next.

If approved by the membership, the contract will last three years, spanning July 1, 2007 through June 30, 2010. UESF negotiators and the district agreed to re-open talks on salary and benefits each year of the contract, meaning we will negotiate for future wage increases every year.

In recognition that the district would not be able to offer a significant raise, UESF negotiators insisted on and achieved improvements in several other areas of the contract; including increased dependent health benefits, special education class size for the child development program, and increased training for special education.

Even though San Francisco students continue to outperform those at all other urban school districts in California, we are at a real disadvantage compared to the suburbs. With limited state funding, declining enrollment, and an across the board 2% reduction in school site budgets in effect for this year, both sides admit that there is not enough money to pay teachers and paras what they deserve.

The district and the union are now considering a parcel tax for the February ballot to help recruit and retain educators by offering a more competitive salary. UESF leadership has been in talks with parent leaders, community activists, business groups, and other education stakeholders to make sure that all of San Francisco is behind the measure.

At the press conference announcing the settlement, School Board President Mark Sanchez put it succinctly. “We're going to be in this position every year if we can't pass a parcel tax,” he said.

The tentative agreement will be presented for recommendation to the UESF Executive Board at their September 5th meeting. A complete copy of the settlement, along with a yes-or-no ballot will then be mailed to every eligible member of the union. The ballots will be due in the UESF office no later than 5:00 p.m. on Thursday September 20th.

UESF members will have an opportunity to review the contract and ask questions at a meeting scheduled for September 12th from 4:00-7:00 p.m. Look for further details about the location. The contract will also be discussed at the UESF Assembly meeting on September 19th.

The tentative agreement will become our official contract only when a majority of those who vote approve the cotract.

The United Educators of San Francisco and the San Francisco Unified School District have reached a tentative agreement on the contracts of the certificated (teacher) and classified (paraprofessional) bargaining units. The agreement came after a seventeen hour, round-the-clock mediated bargaining session that started at 6pm on Friday.

There will be a joint union/district press conference on Monday at 4:30 at 555 Franklin Street.

My personal gratitude to all those who supported the Bargaining Team and the team members themselves who demonstrated creativity, tenacity and endurance in seeing that these contracts were settled before the students crossed the threshold to begin the new school year.

Contract negotiations between UESF and SFUSD negotiators will resume on Wednesday, August 8th. With negotiations now at impasse, all future sessions will be facilitated by Paul Roos, the mediator who was also assigned to our last round of negotiations.

On June 12th the union and district tried one more day of bargaining. The district offered a 3% raise that would begin in January 2008. The raise would be the equivalent of 1.5% across the board for the 2007-2008 year and would then go onto the salary schedule as 3%. The UESF bargaining team accepted that 3% was a legitimate offer, but could not agree to only 1.5% for the 2007-2008 year.

The union and district jointly declared impasse and requested a mediator on May 25th. That process is now set to begin with Paul Roos, who handled the 2006 mediation, as the likely mediator. Both sides will probably be called together in early August.

Although there are still significant differences between both sides in terms of salary and other areas of the contract, some tentative agreements have been reached. These include improvements in the areas of Academic Freedom (Article 6), Pre-retirement/Early-retirement (Article 24), Librarians (Article 35), and Peer Assistance and Review (Article 41).

The new SFUSD Superintendent, Carlos Garcia, will take office on July 16, 2007. Any contract settlement will come to San Francisco on his watch.

All UESF members should be prepared for the possibility that our contract will not be settled by the beginning of the new school year.

An offer of 0.25% for next school year is the equivalent of 60 cents a day for a new teacher.
"You can't even buy a lemon for 60 cents. And that's what this salary offer is - a lemon,"
says UESF President Dennis Kelly. [see the SF Sentinel]

On Thursday, May 24th, SFUSD negotiators offered a 0.25% raise for the coming school year. (The offer was for a 1% raise, effective April 1, 2008, which is the equivalent of 0.25% for the entire school year.) The second half of the offer was for a 2% raise effective April 1, 2009. This comes out to half a percent for the full year of ’09.

To put this into perspective, a 0.25% raise for a beginning teacher making $44,366 a year is the equivalent of $2.99 a week, or about 60 cents a day. “Go to any grocery store in the city of San Francisco, and you can’t even buy a lemon for 60 cents,” says UESF President Dennis Kelly. “And that’s what this salary offer is – a lemon.”

After 4 months of negotiations, and several weeks during which hundreds of teachers and paras wrote urging the Board of Education to settle a fair contract, all the district negotiators could come up with was 0.25%. In response, the UESF bargaining team immediately called for impasse, and the Board of Education agreed (see callout box – Impasse in a Nutshell). UESF negotiators put forward a 6% raise for next school year in the opening bargaining proposal.

Immediately after UESF announced impasse, district representatives were quoted in the media saying that the offer was only a ‘starting point’ (SF Examiner – 5/26) and that the offer was the equivalent to 6% over two years (SF Chronicle – 5/25). Such contradictory statements indicate that there is some confusion on the district’s side. How much have they actually offered? Nevertheless, according to experienced members of the UESF bargaining team, it would have been better not to put forward an offer than to make a 0.25% offer.

“It’s an unnecessary slap in the face,” says UESF Staff Rep and negotiator Susan Solomon. “They should have brought real money to the table. Instead, they chose to play games.”

The district offered no improvement on benefits packages and suggested that step and column advancement should be considered as part of this compensation proposal.

In late April, we learned that the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for the 2007-2008 school year had been revised upwards to 4.53%. This is approximately 0.5% higher than the COLA estimated by the Governor in January, and would result in some $230 million more for California’s public schools.

But according to the district, they anticipate a $6 million shortfall for the 2007-2008 school year budget, partly due to declining enrollment. They note that over the past five years, the district has lost approximately 800 students per year – leading to a decrease of more than $21 million in revenue from the state.

The UESF Bargaining Team operates under the basic premise that in order to recruit and retain the very best educators, the district must prioritize our work by offering a competitive salary and benefits.

With the high cost of living in San Francisco, difficult working conditions, and suburbs that pay substantially more money, the SFUSD will place itself out of the market for the best and brightest educators if they do not offer a competitive package.

“Under difficult budgetary circumstances this is no easy task. But Board members face choices that must be made with careful consideration and understanding of the sacrifices that public school teachers and paras make every day,” says UESF Vice-President Linda Plack. “Let’s hope they come to their senses and bring back an offer that respects the work we do.”

The UESF bargaining team is committed to finding a solution by the end of the school year and school board members have said that they share that goal.

On May 17th, the UESF Assembly voted to call for a first General Membership meeting to call a strike vote, should we not reach an agreement in the coming weeks.

According to the UESF constitution, two membership meetings are required before we can go out on strike. The first is a General Membership meeting where members vote to call for a second meeting. During the second meeting, members vote on whether or not to authorize a strike. After a successful vote, UESF leadership can then call a strike.

With this proposal we have no choice but to prepare for the first meeting, which will take place no later than September 12, 2007. We are looking at appropriate dates, and suitable locations for a vote. There is a good chance this vote will take place before the end of the school year.

Beyond raises, UESF is seeking improvement in several important areas of our contract that will enable us to better perform our jobs. Already, we have come to a few tentative agreements with the district – including a stipend for teachers for an early retirement announcement, a stipend for those who participate on the Peer Assistance and Review Panel, and significant language strengthening academic freedom. The bargaining team is also very close to agreements on several items in the paraprofessional contract, including improvements in language about the delivery of medicine.

All members are encouraged to continue writing to the Board of Education, letting them know how hard you work at your school, and that you deserve a fair contract settlement by the end of this school year. The commissioners’ emails and addresses are posted on the website. So far UESF members have written letters that have provided powerful personal examples of just how committed we are to our profession, and how important a fair raise is.

Make sure you check with your Building Representative often for the latest updates and be prepared to attend a General Membership meeting to discuss a strike vote, should one be called before the end of the school year.

UESF President Dennis Kelly holds up a lemon to demonstrate what we think of the
district's offer of 0.25% for next school year.

District Offers .025% Raise for Next School Year
UESF Declares Impasse
May 25, 2007

Today, the UESF Bargaining Team declared impasse in our current contract negotiations with the San Francisco Unified School District.

The decision comes after nearly 4 months of negotiations, during which little progress was made at the bargaining table. It follows a day in which district negotiators offered the equivalent of a 0.25% raise for the coming school year (They offered a 1% raise, effective April 1, 2008, which is the equivalent of 0.25% for the entire school year.)

A 0.25% raise for a beginning teacher making $44,366 a year is the equivalent of $2.99 a week, or about 60 cents a day. You can’t even buy a lemon for 60 cents. And that’s what this salary offer is – a lemon.

We had every hope and expectation that the district wanted to settle a fair contract this school year. It is unfortunate that the teachers and paras who do the work in the classroom may be forced to fight for a living wage.

In Late April, School Services of California announced that the state Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for the 2007-2008 school year has been revised upwards to 4.53%. This is approximately 0.5% higher than the COLA estimated by the Governor in January, and will result in some $230 million more for California’s public schools, and around $4 million for the SFUSD. The .25% offer, as put forward by the district, would pass along only a tiny fraction of this increased revenue to educators.

Impasse means that a state mediator will be assigned to our contract negotiations, and that eventually a neutral fact-finding commission will be appointed to review the district’s budget. We are extremely confident that any rational individual will find the SFUSD has enough resources to pay more than a 0.25% raise.

All UESF members are invited to attend the annual UESF spring party on May 31st at the Longshoremen’s Hall. The theme for this year’s party is “How to Make Lemonade from Lemons.” Although the district’s offer was a lemon, with hard work and unity, we are determined to get a fair contract.

Before the party gets started we will meet at 4:30 p.m. to discuss the current contract talks. Enjoy plenty of delicious food, entertainment, and door prizes. Horace Mann Middle School Teacher Mark Murray will DJ. Families are welcome. You are also encouraged to bring a dessert to share.

The Longshoremen’s hall is easily accessible by public transportation. There is also plenty of free parking.

Details:
Location: ILWU Local 34, 2nd & King St. (Next to AT&T Park)
4:30-5:00: Contract meeting
5:00-8:00: Dinner, music, dancing

Contract this Year or Confrontation Next Year? Join fellow educators at the Board of Education meeting on May 22 to deliver the message in person. [details]

In Late April, the district’s financial gurus changed their expectations for revenue. School Services of California announced that the state Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for the 2007-2008 school year has been revised upwards to 4.53%. This is approximately .5% higher than the COLA estimated by the Governor in January, and will result in some $230 million more for California’s public schools, and around $4 million for the SFUSD.

In light of this increase in funding, district negotiators can no longer say there is no money in the general fund to provide salary increases to teachers and paras. In fact, their current offer at the table is 0%.

Conversely, the UESF Bargaining Team has put forward a reasonable 6% salary increase over the next school year. Rather than spending this money on high priced consultants, additional administrators, or other pet projects, the district has the opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to those who do the important work in the classroom.

In a budget of over $400 million, not including this additional 4.5% from the state, it truly becomes an issue of priorities. Aren’t classroom teachers and paras worth the investment?

Beyond the financial considerations, UESF has also put forward several proposals that would help end the inequalities between the teacher and para contracts, and improve direct support in the classroom. Most of these items would come at little or no cost to the district, yet most of them have also been summarily rejected.

UESF negotiators last met with district officials on May 3rd, and little progress was made. With only four more sessions scheduled, the possibility of settling the contract by the end of the school year is becoming more and more remote. By stonewalling the vast majority of UESF proposals, and playing coy with financial considerations, district negotiators are unnecessarily pushing our union into preparing for a labor dispute next fall.

With the successful Hayward strike recently settled, and our proven ability to mobilize our membership and the support of parents and the community, why would they take such a gamble?

SFUSD negotiators have promised to make a salary offer at the May 24 bargaining session. UESF members are encouraged to contact the Board of Education via email, letter, and phone in the coming weeks to let them know how important it is for them to settle a fair contract, with a real raise, this year. UESF will also deliver the message at the May 22 Board of Education meeting. If you would like to attend, see this flyer for more information.

On Tuesday, April 24, 2007 over 400 UESF members attended a boisterous rally in front of the San Francisco School Board. At the rally teachers and paras from across San Francisco sent a clear message to the district – it’s time to get moving at the bargaining table. With 2 months of negotiations under our belt the district had so far failed to even offer a response on 15 of 18 union proposals. But did the message get across?

Following the rousing demonstration of support for the UESF Bargaining Team, the union and district met on April 26th and 27th. SFUSD negotiators made an effort to respond to all monetary items. The district rejected every one.

UESF then asked for responses to the remainder of the non-monetary items on the table. UESF read off 26 certificated items and 12 items for the paraprofessional contract. The district rejected seven more items and indicated varying degrees of willingness to consider the others.

“We are all but stalled,” UESF President Dennis Kelly said at the end of the day. “By rejecting the bulk of UESF proposals out of hand, district negotiators have moved negotiations much closer to impasse. Let’s hope there is more movement when we meet on May 3rd.”

District Proposes Contracting Out Special Education Work,
Rejects UESF Counter-Proposal on Staffing

The district presented a skeletal proposal to contract-out special education jobs by hiring a Pennsylvania company to supply credentialed teachers to the district. These new teachers would remain employees of the private company for three years while working in SFUSD schools. The union rejected this proposal.

The UESF team also responded to the district proposal on staffing (Article 15) with a package of our own. The district, however, rejected the package because it included the right for consolidated teachers to choose their next assignment.

Time to dust off that sign and come out to the School Board.
UESF members deserve a contract settlement.

On Tuesday, April 24th from 4:30-6:00 p.m. UESF will hold an important rally in front of the San Francisco Board of Education (555 Franklin St.) As negotiations continue, and it becomes clear that district negotiators are in no hurry to reach a settlement, the time has come to show our strength as a union. The message to the district is simple: It is time to settle the contract.

UESF negotiators have put forward a reasonable package of proposals that will enable public school educators to continue to improve the quality of education delivered in San Francisco. The package includes a fair pay increase of 6%, improved healthcare benefits that will help members better cover their families, and equality for paras in the eyes of the contracts. Just as important are several proposals that will ensure adequate support for educators and students in the classroom.

Unfortunately, the district has been slow to bring their proposals to the table, and even slower in considering ours.

As schools throughout the district step up and hold UESF t-shirt days, the district is beginning to understand that we are serious about a contract settlement. Now it is time to send a louder, more forceful message at the rally on April 24th. All members who care about a reasonable settlement should come along, and bring a couple of colleagues from their work site.

There has been one agreement so far this year: Despite the slow-moving contract talks, UESF and SFUSD have reached an agreement on a pilot program establishing a stipend for teachers who announce their retirement early. The program is intended to help the district in staffing schools next year, while at the same time rewarding those educators who make their retirement decision early.

For this year, any certificated bargaining unit member who notifies the district’s HR department before April 27, 2007 of his plan to retire before June 30, 2007 shall receive a $400 stipend. In the next year the notification date will move to March.

Alamo teachers Joanne Lee and Stacey Revitz organize a blue t-shirt day at their school.

At the March 20, 2007 round of UESF/district negotiations, the UESF team presented language to improve the delivery of special education in the SFUSD. Among the proposals were important changes in teacher training and support in the classroom.

UESF negotiators are seeking special training in managing assaultive behavior in students who have a behavioral support plan that may require crisis management strategies in the classroom. As it stands now, teachers and paras are often put in the difficult position of dealing with students with behavioral issues, without adequate and regular training. Under the UESF proposal, such training would be required within 30 days of the student being assigned to the class.

In an effort to improve the delivery of education for special education students placed in general education classrooms, UESF is proposing that additional support be provided to classrooms where greater than 10% of the students are Special Day Class (SDC) or inclusion students. The support would come in the form of an additional paraprofessional assigned to the classroom, above and beyond those regularly assigned to the students.

At yesterday’s negotiations, the joint UESF/ SFUSD committee on Professional Development reported back that the survey they were charged with creating was completed and ready for distribution. To be delivered in April and May, the survey will guage members’ opinions on the type of delivery and content they fell will be most effective. Building Representatives will work with Principals to distribute and collect the survey at their work site.

The district also indicated that they were interested in language that would help staff hard to fill positions and schools. The UESF team indicated that they were willing to consider the issue, and work with the district to make sure that difficult positions are filled as quickly as possible while still abiding by the contract.

The list of schools stepping up for photraphs is growing. Is your school ready for your photo-op? Call 956-8373 to let us know.

On March 9th the UESF negotiating team proposed a 6% raise for all UESF members, effective July 1, 2007. The 6% proposal comes as part of a larger package of that includes improvements in health and dental benefits.

The wage proposal was driven by the bargaining team’s belief that SFUSD must prioritize funding in the classroom, or risk jeopardizing the quality of education that is delivered in San Francisco public schools. In order to recruit and retain the very best educators, SFUSD must offer a pay and benefits package that is comparable to other California districts.

A quick look at comparisons between SFUSD and other districts demonstrates that right now the district is failing to make the grade.

According to the most recent school year data, of the 13 largest school districts in California, SFUSD ranks 12th in spending on salaries and benefits for teachers and paraprofessionals. The average school district spends about 81% of its budget on salaries and benefits; SFUSD spends approximately 74%. That 7% differential is the reason that many teachers are forced to make the difficult decision to leave San Francisco in favor of a better paying suburban district. When considering salaries alone, SFUSD remains at 12th out of 13; benefits – 11th out of 13.

According to the Consumer Price Index (CPI), inflation rose by 3.4% from December of 2005 through December of 2006 in the San Francisco Bay Area. That means that the buying power of educators has decreased by at least 3.4% in just a year. Of course, inflation hits San Francisco harder than outlying areas – from the high cost of food and gas, to astronomical rents, it is becoming harder and harder for educators to live in the communities in which they teach.

The UESF team also put forward important proposals to improve the health benefits provided by the district. Taken together, these proposals are intended to make it easier for educators to raise a family and to take care of their loved ones. District negotiators are prone to complain about how much the SFUSD pays out for health benefits, but according to the data, they actually spend less than the average of the 13 districts. With only 9.5% of the budget spent on health benefits, SFUSD ranks 8th.

The proposals include full health care coverage for one dependent, increasing the amount the district pays for family coverage from $250 to $500 per month, and increasing dental coverage from $1,500 to $2,000.

District negotiators informed the UESF team that they would respond to the wage and benefits proposal in April.


UESF members spoke up for a fair contract at the Tuesday, February 27th meeting of the San Francisco Board of Education. See what they had to say here.

Time to Talk Money -
A Question of Priorities
March 1, 2007

On Tuesday, February 27th, negotiators for SFUSD brought in district staff to present their view of the district’s financial situation. In their analysis, the district has less than $1 million left for bargaining after paying for lawyers and legal fees for the Lopez case, deductions for declining enrollment, and other factors.

UESF’s bargaining team posed questions about the presentation. Among the UESF team’s concerns is that by their own admission, the district is violating the state code that requires all school districts to put 55% or more of their resources directly in to the classroom. Their figures show, once again, that they are failing to prioritize the classroom.
This is a serious problem, and one that has a direct impact on the quality of education that children receive in SFUSD. When teachers and paras are not supported with a decent salary and a contract that shows respect for the work they do, many are forced to leave the profession or to go teach in the suburbs.

The UESF team will take the district’s presentation into consideration when putting forward a compensation proposal, scheduled for the next round of negotiations on March 8th and 9th. The team will also conduct their own analysis of the district’s financial health, based upon documents provided by the state of California. Other factors that they will consider include what educators in other districts have received this past year, the COLA from the state of California, the high cost of living in the Bay Area, and inflation.

UESF Speaks Up at the Board of Education

On Tuesday, February 27th, over 35 UESF members showed up at the Board of Education meeting wearing their UESF t-shirts and sweatshirts to speak up about the current negotiations, and to reconfirm our commitment to a fair contract settlement. Several teachers and paras spoke, including members of our negotiating team. They stressed the need for equality between the certificated and classified contracts, fair pay for all educators, and respect for all school workers.
More UESF Proposals

UESF negotiators put forward two major proposals on Tuesday. The first was a proposal to limit special education class sizes in pre-k classes. The second was a sweeping re-organization of summer school, and after school and Saturday remedial instruction. Remember to go to www.uesf.org/negotiations for more info.

UESF Brings Issue of Equality for Paras to the Table
February 23, 2007

At the second negotiating session on February 22nd, UESF negotiators put forward several important proposals regarding the classified contract. The goal of these proposals is simple: equality for paraprofessionals.

As equal partners in the classroom, paraprofessionals play a pivotal role in providing a quality education to San Francisco’s students. So why should their contract be inferior in so many ways? It shouldn’t.

In the last round of bargaining, UESF negotiators were able to secure many important gains for paraprofessionals that are standard in the teacher contract, including binding arbitration for discipline short of dismissal, paid staff development, and limits on the subcontracting of para work.

This year, UESF intends to do more. So far, the UESF team has put forward proposals to improve contract language on jury duty, bereavement leave, and the length of the work year. Furthermore, the team seeks to get the same language on safe working conditions and the administering of medications that appear in the teacher contract. And last, but certainly not least, the negotiating team is seeking full binding arbitration protection for paraprofessionals.

Money Talks on Tuesday

At the next negotiating session on Tuesday, February 27th, SFUSD negotiators will present their financial analysis of the district’s budget. No doubt, the district will claim that there is little or no money for increased staff raises or benefits.

The UESF negotiating team will take this presentation into consideration when putting together our proposals on raises, along with other important factors. These include: the high cost of living in the Bay Area, the Consumer Price Index (inflation), the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) provided by the state of California, and what other school districts have provided this year.

It is important that the district understands that the best way to recruit and retain the best educators is to provide us wages and benefits that allow us to live in the communities in which we teach.


Moscone Elementary, wearing their blue best every Friday.

Negotiations Begin on a Positive Note
February 20, 2007

Last Thursday, UESF held its first negotiating session with SFUSD. Unlike the last round of negotiations, this year started off on a positive note. UESF and SFUSD have agreed on dates through the end of the school year, and have already agreed upon ground rules for the remaining sessions.

Another encouraging sign – District negotiators did not arrive to negotiate with 29 pages of the contract crossed out as they did last year. The UESF team was also greeted by Superintendent Gwen Chan, and new Board Commissioner Jane Kim, who offered her assistance to the process should it become necessary.

UESF Negotiating Team

This year most of the team from last year returns, including: Larry Blake, Jane Blanchard, Janet Eberhardt, Dennis Kelly, Susan Kitchell, Sandra Mack, Claire Merced, Linda Plack, Bradley Reeves, Betty Robinson-Harris, and Susan Solomon. Daniel Markarian joins the team this year and Darcie Blackburn, Tom Edminster, Carolyn Samoa, and Ken Tray will serve as alternates. Shannon O’Hara of the CTA and Dick Hemann of CFT also return.

In the coming weeks UESF negotiators will put forward several proposals to improve our contract, using the results from the bargaining survey conducted last fall. In general, the team will seek to protect recent contract gains and to improve upon sections of the contract that are most important to UESF members. These include continuing in our drive to make the classified contract equal to the certificated, and making sure that UESF members have the financial security to continue to provide a quality education to all San Francisco children.

SFUSD negotiators will also put forward their proposals, and it will be clear to all whether or not the positive atmosphere continues, or whether things take a turn for the worse. UESF negotiators hope the talks will continue on a positive note, and that we will have an agreement by the end of the school year. However, they stress that we must be prepared for the possibility of yet another round of contentious negotiations.

UESF Area Representatives, including our newest representatives – Diane Johnson and Mishwa Lee – are contacting Building Representatives in the coming weeks to ensure that every school site is up-to-date on the latest information, and people are prepared to take action if necessary. You can do your part by organizing a blue t-shirt day at your school to demonstrate your support for the negotiating team.

Keep abreast of progress at the negotiating table; look for future editions of Table Talk. Copies will be mailed to every Building Representative in SFUSD schools after each negotiating session. Don’t forget to post these on your school bulletin board. You should also go to our negotiations website, www.uesf.org/negotiations, in the months ahead to get complete information. Finally, if you are not receiving UESF emails, please send your email address with your full name to our membership secretary .

Negotiating dates in the coming weeks: February 22, 29; March 8, 9.