Is UTLA even fighting for a raise as its #1 priority? Why isnt UTLA exposing district waste? An activist sent us the following link: alternet.org/education/la-teachers-are-engaged-visionary-battle-over-much-more-their-own-wages So instead of UTLA focusing on a raise, and on exposing district waste, some within UTLA would rather focus on a bunch of other issues -- whats really troubling in the above article too is the celebrations by our leadership of Chicago - yet here are reminders about what the Chicago sellout really brought to their members: https://facebook/groups/utlaaccountability/permalink/778300042237786/ wsws.org/en/articles/2014/02/24/port-f24.html In his letter to all employees today, Superintendent Cortines wrote, We have repeatedly offered to open the Districts financial books, and we have repeatedly requested that UTLA identify viable funding sources for any of its additional demands. Regrettably, UTLA has declined our offer... Why is UTLA refusing to expose district waste? Maybe it has to do with the fact that UTLA is not at all transparent with their own accounting methods (spending money on meals and travel, for example, without dislosing this to members, rather than spending our dues money on defending members). After all, how can you ask for district transparency when youre not at all transparent with your own budget. Maybe it has to do with the fact that our leadership held a secret meeting with former Superintendent Deasy at Dragos restaurant in the middle of an internal UTLA election. Maybe it has to do with the fact that our leadership is colluding with LAUSD - in order to line their own pockets and possibly line up future employment opportunities - rather than advocating for members. Among the many unanswered questions... UTLA hasnt said why they refuse to find and publicize - through a public campaign - the many examples of district waste. UTLA still hasnt said why they continue to spend our dues on meals and travel without telling members who spends how much and on what. UTLA still hasnt said why they keep lowering the salary demand while getting no concessions in return from LAUSD. UTLA still hasnt said why they stopped pushing for a retroactive raise even though LAUSD was proposing it and literally almost all other districts across the state that negotiated raises received a retroactive raise. UTLA still hasnt said why they reinstated the STRS kickback, in violation of the UTLA Constitution. UTLA still hasnt said why target union activists who dare to speak out against LAUSD. UTLA still hasnt said why they autocratically violated the UTLA Constitution by moving the leadership conference to the non union home of the PGA home of the 1% La Quinta resort and spa. UTLA still hasnt provided an accounting of Drago Gate - what deals were made - who was in attendance, why did they have a secret meeting with Mr. Deasy in the middle of a UTLA election at a five-star restaurant, etcetera. UTLA still hasnt said why they refuse to embrace transparency. UTLA still hasnt said why they dont call out the district on all their waste (instead of continually sucking up to school board members and the superintendent) UTLA still hasnt said why they refuse to fight. UTLA still hasnt said why they react so defensively when members ask questions like, hey, do you know what time it is? UTLA still doesnt disclose to members who they give release time to and for how much? That is, they dont tell members who - among UTLA activists and leadership - is granted release time in exchange for their silence and complicity? When is our union leadership going to stop their corrupt, morally bankrupt practices? The Movement for the Union that UTLA Members Deserve, https://facebook/groups/utlaaccountability/ https://twitter/billsmith632 Oh, and while UTLA may not embrace a raise as the #1 priority it should be fighting for, members seem to feel differently. Check out these posts at the UTLA facebook page (UTLA banned us from posting or commenting on their precious site - without warning or explanation). Nancy Cohen Pehrsson DONT HO DOWN ANYMORE!!!!!! ANYTHING LESS THEN 10% IS TO LOW!!! OUR TEACHERS WERE VERY UPSET SEEING THIS!!!! 8 · January 23 at 1:14pm Omar Zaragoza I hope UTLA is reading these comments. Listen to what the members want and what they are expecting from you, their union! It looks likeUTLA will soon negotiate us back down to 2%. Were tired and willing to strike!!! 13 · January 22 at 10:57pm Gloria Dlc Plz everyone tell ur fellow UTLA members to vote NO!! LAUSD SMELLS THE DESPERATION THATS WHY THEY ARE LOW BALLING US. Im voting NO UNLESS ITS DOUBLE DIGITS. Im poor as is but I wont accept LAUSD miserable offers. VOTE NO NO NO NO NO!! 10 · January 22 at 10:04pm Lucia Garcia ! ....8.5! No way! 7 · January 22 at 10:02pm Carlos Scarlata Lame. I have a suggestion. Negotiate a 12%salary increase spread over 3 years just like San Francisco Unified and Oakland Unified! What is your rationale for negotiating for one year? Why is it that other teachers unions are locking in double digit salary increases for their members while our negotiating strategy clearly short changes UTLA members? Sounds like our negotiating team is willing to negotiate down pretty low if this continues. LAUSD will still be crying poor next year and well have to be passing out fliers and rallying for years to come. Lock in a double digit salary increase or do the following- grow a pair, declare an impasse, and authorize a strike already. 29 · January 23 at 3:26am · Edited Jorge Guillen nop! January 23 at 6:56pm Jessica Jimenez Thank you for just going down to 8.5%. As teachers we have been sold out one too many times by you, UTLA. The computer payroll and MiSis were not our fault and we paid for them in hours and money. Hang tough. We need you. 9 · January 22 at 8:57pm Fiona Engler So let me understand....we started at 17.5% and now we have backed down to 8.5????????????? I am a little confused about what we are doing here. 18 · January 22 at 8:50pm Thomas Bullis Agree 2 · January 22 at 9:06pm Maria Rosaria Piroli strike. 4 · January 22 at 9:49pm Christine Ferreira 17.5 was a joke from the get-go. 2 · January 23 at 6:24am Rebecca Cherkoss strike!strike! 6 · January 23 at 3:58pm Ed Shorer I retired in June 2014 after 25 years of teaching in LAUSD. Neither UTLA nor LAUSD will explain what happened to the 2013-2014 year being dropped from negotiations when it was on the table just a couple of months ago. As someone who supported UTLA and Union-backed board members throughout my career, it matters, and is really disheartening see what disregard UTLA has for its members. This constant backing down from 17.5% to 10% to 9% and now to 8.5% over so many months after NO raise for so many years is just wrong. I may be out there on Feb. 26, but it will be to ask What happened to 2013-2014??? 6 · January 23 at 11:43am Jon Weisbart This photo says it all. If you look at older pictures of the negotiating team, they were smiling and confident. Here, they just look defeated. 2 · January 23 at 7:41am Leticia Duggan UTLA members, we ALL need to show up to all rallies. We ALL need to participate. Much is dependent on how strong we look as a whole unfortunately not enough of our teachers, staff and community are wearing red on Tuesdays and showing up to the events. 1 · January 23 at 7:05am Thomas Bullis lowering our salary demand does not make anyone really want to participate 1 · January 23 at 7:13pm Leticia Duggan Thomas Bullis totally agree. Unfortunately the reality is that not enough of us are out there showing that we are ready to strike. Both the district and UTLA are watching us as a whole. Because we arent showing up in huge numbers the district doesnt think we have the support of the members to truly pull off a strike and UTLA is questioning if we would vote to strike. The goal is to get 80% of our members out there showing support. We have escalating actions approaching; picketing Feb 12 and Pershing Square on the 26th I believe. Lets hope our numbers look good. We all deserve and desperately need a raise. As well as fully staffed schools etc. And I agree I dont want it to go down any more. January 23 at 8:35pm Christine Ferreira 3 percent on the schedule for last year retro. 3 percent on the schedule for this year. 3 percent on the schedule locked up for next year. Thats all I want. How hard is that? 4 · January 23 at 6:25am Roman Gomez Villa I hope you know we are ready to strike!! F No! Almost 8 years of BS!! ENOUGH ALREADY!! Cant believe UTLA allowed the district to lowball us! Cant allow them to disrespect us anymore! Voting no to that 8.5, then Im ready to strike!!! 5 · January 23 at 6:13am · Edited Elena Berger This is pretty disheartening. Who are these people negotiating everything away from us? UTLA is useless and ineffective. 5 · January 23 at 6:06am Lisa Rico Bowker No! 3 · January 23 at 5:52am Debra Finney Longshoremen negotiate for 8 months and declare impasse. UTLA negotiates for 8 years and we are still not at impasse. We pass out fliers though...smh! 6 · January 23 at 5:52am · Edited Mimi Guzman-Duncanson Wearing red on Tuesdays is NOT ENOUGH. We need more demonstrations and work stoppages to make it clear that we mean business. Why start at 17.5% if in the end, we are going to settle for HALF of that? 6 · January 23 at 1:21am Audrey Linden Feel like it will be 6 percent if we keep backing down and that is not enough, and then it all starts over again for next year. 5 · January 22 at 11:06pm Elaine Puentes Ibarra Yeah well end up with 8% AND take backs like so many other years so it will equate to about 3%. SERIOUSLY SO SICK OF BEING ABUSED BY STUDENTS, PARENTS, ADMINS & ... 4 · January 22 at 10:49pm Sylvia Garcia No! Unacceptable. Im voting no. Its time for hardball play. Not only is the raise long over due, the district doesnt offer much on the other points of contract negotiations. They want to pit us us against the public, as all too often, cause yeah-were here to get rich. Started at 17+% and now this--forget it! I know one starts high and #s go down as sides haggle back and forth--but one year, and then back to the tables. This is ludicrous. I say we ask for 25% and start negotiations with the district again (ok--Im being facetious, but I think you get what I mean). 6 · January 22 at 10:21pm · Edited Eva Pons How much lower are we willing to go? 2 · January 22 at 9:50pm Maria Rosaria Piroli WTF all empty promises by UTLA.... 17.5% down to 8.5% HMMMMMMM 5 · January 22 at 9:48pm · Edited Lula Cummings I cannot believe this! 4 · January 22 at 9:35pm Eva Pons Districts whose employees contribute to the medical coverage for their dependents. Lower salaries affect our retirement benefits. 3 · January 22 at 9:29pm Eva Pons So UTLA members are some of the few who do not contribute to their medical benefits...but our top salaries are also about $10 K lower that those of some of the Southern California distr 4 · January 22 at 9:27pm Jennifer Lee Actually, our top salaries about $20,000 lower than where other districts will cap you out. I havent found another district where you are capped after 10 years with just a few extra bucks for a career increment. January 24 at 2:08pm William Mernin 4% is insulting. 6 · January 22 at 9:22pm Carlos Scarlata 8.5 % is insulting. 5 · January 22 at 10:07pm Jeanine Edgington Poll UTLA members! Were pissed and ready to strike! 3 · January 23 at 9:06pm Thomas Bullis WHY IS UTLA NOT RESPONDING??? I KNOW SOMEONE IS MAKING A PAYCHECK TO CHECK AND UPDATE THIS UTLA PAGE....hmmmm...I smell something fishy 2 · January 23 at 7:16pm Eric Jeannine Murphy Very disappointed Makes me think twice about any further participation in am or after school events.....very disappointed!....j9 2 · January 23 at 6:56pm Jorge Guillen Tired and willing to strike! 2 · January 23 at 6:56pm Mar Jackson What the +&$# ? UTLA, youre open-mouthed, knuckle-dragging troglodytes... Once again, YOU voted these fools in and now we have THE UNION WE DESERVE.Utter fools. 2 · January 23 at 6:34pm Lorraine Singer-Watson Still nothing for the contracted teachers in the subpool 1 · January 23 at 9:34pm Andre Noble Dear UTLA, we are heading for settling with LAUSD for a one year ongoing for 6.5% - which we all know from experience will not be renegotiated for another 4 years. 4 year Cumulative value over time comparison of likely LAUSD 6.5% onetime ongoing raise vs. actual SFUSD multiyear stepped raise: LAUSD: 6.5 + 6.5 + 6.5 + 6.5 = 26 SFUSD: 4 + 8 + 12 + 12 = 36 Conclusion: LAUSD teachers need a 9% raise one time ongoing raise this year to match the value of what SFUSD teachers have won from their school district. 1 · January 23 at 8:02pm · Edited Jennifer Lee Obviously, the offer isnt what we want, but I am glad that our current leadership is bargaining. I got real sick and tired every single week last year reading that utla had sent its offer and there was no response and they just left it at that. So I am glad to know that our union really is fighting for us this year. See you at the rally next month! January 24 at 2:02pm Andre Noble Also we need to put a spotlight on the current health care bubble. An increasing chunk of (our raise) is being diverted to high deductible health care premiums (which enrich insurance execs, hospitals and over-billing doctors - many of whom I went to school with and admit so). January 23 at 10:59pm
Posted on: Mon, 26 Jan 2015 23:11:05 +0000
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