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The FINAL Round
We have been at impasse since April 3rd
- almost 6 weeks. In
that span of time, hundreds of members have participated in our
activities and events, attending rallies, calling School Board
members, coming to union meetings, writing letters to the editor,
sending postcards and emails to the School Board, wearing red on
payday, and addressing the School Board publicly at its meetings.
Our cause has been getting the attention of the community, as
we have had reporters from ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, the Orlando Sentinel,
the Seminole Chronicle, online blogs, and a several radio stations
have provided great coverage for the employees, while the portrayal
of the School Board has not been favorable - at all.
Our campaign is going well because of two things:
There is money to pay for a raise,
employees have earned it by making SCPS an “A” district, and every
neighboring district is providing
something for its
employees, except ours.
It’s become clearer to the public that employees should be made a
priority, not an afterthought, in the budgeting process.
The last stage of the impasse
procedure, the legislative hearing, occurs this Tuesday, May 15th.
In this step, the School Board reconstitutes itself as an
“impartial” legislative body, which will hear final presentations
from the Association- and District bargaining teams in a formal
hearing. Upon hearing
both presentations and asking questions, the legislative body will
make a final decision to settle the disputed salary/wage issue. It
could be our 3% proposal, the Board’s 0% proposal, or something
different. It will be a majority decision of the legislative body
acting in the public interest. possible and be a part of this hearing, and the rally occurring beforehand. This is not over, and if we don’t continue to apply pressure, then our chances for any success will slip away.
PLEASE, make plans to attend and be a part of this struggle.
WHERE:
ESC (SCPS offices), 400 E. Lake Mary Blvd, Sanford 32773
WHEN:
Tuesday, May 15th. The pre-hearing RALLY (outside
of the ESC) begins at 4:30 pm.
The hearing will begin at 6:00 pm in the Board room. We will
have signs for you to hold.
ATTIRE:
RED!
ALSO:
For the pre-hearing rally only, we need to make some
NOISE! If you
have megaphones, hand drums, shakers, etc., please bring them!
NO amplified
instruments, please.
FINAL NOTE:
As this is a
public hearing, there will not be an opportunity to for public
input. Instead, this is the time for both sides to make the
technical presentations relating to the merits of the current
proposals on the table. It is important that the hearing be an
orderly one in which the teams are able to make presentations free
of any distractions. We
are asking everyone, once inside the Board room, to be
respectful and professional. No booing, hissing, yelling, should be
displayed by our members.
Applauding your Association team after its presentation
certainly is appropriate and encouraged, though!
So this is it.
If you haven’t been able to make it before but you are ready
to come now, that’s ok.
If you need to bring your kids, that’s ok (we’ll let them hold a
sign). If you can only make it to only the rally or only the
hearing, that’s ok, too – we need everyone we can get to come out.
NOW is the time, more than ever.
This is our final opportunity to make an impact on this
year’s bargaining, and your involvement is critical.
SEE YOU TUESDAY at the ESC, at 4:30, and in RED! |
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SEA, SECA, NIPSCO, and SCSBDA
April 24 -
About 150 members from our four associations came out in force to
protest the ZERO percent increase the School Board wants for the
7,000 + employees who are working every day to make this District
great. Members lined the Lake Mary Boulevard once again, greeted by
passersby who honked and waved in support. Amid the protestors
were captains who led the crowd in chants exclaiming "HEROES, NOT
ZEROS!" As the meeting started, our large group, clad in red,
took seats and waited patiently for the public input portion of the
meeting.
About 20 speakers from all
corners of the District spoke passionately about the need for an
earned increase, the greed of the Board for accepting their own
optional increases while denying us anything, or how WE make SCPS
great. There were even speeches delivered by family members
of employees who were asking the Board to reconsider its ZERO offer
and support our working families. All of the messages were powerful
and eloquent.
Thanks to
everyone who came out to our rally last night. It is often a
challenge to spend a couple of hours on a worknight away home and
family, but
member involvement is making a
difference. We have had very favorable coverage on
television in the past week, from print, TV, and radio media. Also,
there is overwhelming support for our cause in online blogs and
comments to news stories in the Orlando Sentinel. Please check
out the following links, but please go to the bottom of this message
to read how
YOU can help bring our struggle to public:
From tonight (more to
come):
http://www.clickorlando.com/news/Seminole-County-teachers-protest-
http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/news_education_edblog
http://da.feedsportal.com/c/34256/f/623176/s/1eb343f3/l/0L
http://www.wftv.com/news/news/local/seminole-county-teachers-
Last week's rally:
http://www.wftv.com/news/news/seminole-teachers-unhappy-school-board-member-rais/nMcXb/
http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/news_local_blogonomics
We need to share with the
public our frustration with a ZERO percent proposal. We are
respected employees in Seminole County and spreading our message
widely will be very helpful if we can get community members,
parents, and students behind us. Here's what you can do:
Go to the Orlando Sentinel
Letters to the Editor webpage by clicking on the
following link:
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/opinion/orl-letters-to-editor-form,0,2447169.customform
From there, you can type in
a message and send it electronically.
Remember our talking points
when making your remarks:
Please take some time to
write a letter to Editor. Imagine the impact of having hundreds of
us sending our message to the press!
Stay strong! Stay
united!
NOW is the time. |
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UPDATE on the Board member
salary increases we told you about earlier this week
(click
HERE
if you haven't read about this yet):
Upon receiving
emails, calls, and postcards from members regarding the unfairness
of accepting optional raises while providing a
ZERO percent increase for thousands of employees,
two Board members, Dr. Tina Calderone and Dede Schaffner, have
suddenly chosen over this past weekend to
GIVE BACK their raises! When questioned about
her raise, Karen Almond indicated that she donated
some of her increase to
the United Way and the Foundation for SCPS, but not all of it.
This begs a few
questions:
Should these injustices go unnoticed and unanswered? Should we just
"take it" and be happy we have jobs, when we are the only district
employees in Central Florida who are not getting a raise this year?
Should we trust in the leadership of the School Board members who
have taken their own raises while leaving us with nothing, as we
work second jobs, forego necessary purchases, and shortchange the
futures of our own children to make ends meet?
The bargaining process hasn't provided us with a raise. Our
arguments at the bargaining table haven't provided us with a raise,
either. The only way to have a chance is for members to stand
together and participate.
Will you join with other members to send the message to the Board
that taking an optional raise while offering a ZERO percent increase
is a complete lack of respect for our efforts?
Will you help make our case to the public that there IS money to
pay for a raise, that every neighboring county is getting a raise,
and that SCPS is the best because of its employees?
Will you take a stand so that we can increase our chances to be
win?
NOW IS THE TIME. |
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PSST! Hey, want to know
a secret?
About 2 weeks ago, bargaining teams for SEA, SECA, NIPSCO, and
SCSBDA declared a bargaining impasse after the School Board team
proposed a ZERO percent increase. While the fact that the School
Board’s providing ZERO Recognition and ZERO Respect should be
upsetting enough, we wanted to share a “secret” that you will find
really revolting!
Under Florida law, school board members earn an annual salary as
elected school district leaders. Last year (2010-11), the
state-calculated salary for SCPS school board members was $36,000,
equal to the salary for a first-year teacher with a Bachelors
degree. School board members need not possess a college degree, nor
is the position considered a full-time job.
For 2011-12, the SCPS school board salary calculation resulted in an
increase to $37,647, which is
4.58% MORE than last
year. Under the law, board members can choose NOT to accept
an increase. In spite of the declining revenues, increased operating
costs, and loss of federal funding that led the Board to propose a
ZERO percent increase for us,
our school board members chose to take their
increases this year when they could have declined them! So there you have it. The 5 people who are offering over 7,000 employees a ZERO percent increase are the only 5 people who are getting an increase in our entire District this year!
How does this make you feel? Cheated? Devalued?
Betrayed? If so, perhaps you can use that energy to get
involved NOW. We are organizing activities allowing members to come
together, show up in force, and express ourselves to the Board and
to the public.
This week, we need as many members as possible to attend the
following special school board meeting: DATE/TIME: WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18th, 5:15 p.m.
LOCATION:
Educational Support Center (ESC), located at 400 E. Lake Mary
Blvd, Sanford 32773
Members from all 4 unions will be getting together and holding signs
beginning at 5:15 p.m. and will come into the Board room just before
the meeting begins at 6:00 p.m. Several leaders will be speaking
during public input. If you would like to address the Board, too, we
ask that you use some/all of the following talking points:
·
Our employees are a big part of making SCPS a high-performing school
district.
·
There IS money to pay for an increase.
·
We deserve respect and recognition, and a ZERO percent increase
provides neither.
·
Every neighboring District is providing some form of increase.
·
Giving yourselves a raise when over 7,000 employees get nothing is
unfair and shows a lack of appreciation.
Your involvement is critical, as your bargaining teams and your
leaders can’t do this alone. If you believe that a ZERO percent
increase is unfair and insulting, then you must get involved. If we
roll over now, the Board will attempt to force more bad changes for
employees, like (unpaid) furlough days, elimination of insurance
benefits for part time employees, etc. – which they are discussing
now in preparation for next year’s budget!
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the UniServ
office at 407-388-1131.
NOW is the time.
Seminole UniServ
SEA – SECA – NIPSCO – SCSBDA |
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SEA, SECA, NIPSCO and SCSBDA
DECLARE BARGAINING IMPASSE Negotiating teams for SCPS and all four associations in the Seminole UniServ (SEA, SECA, NIPSCO, SCSBDA) met this week in an attempt to complete bargaining for the 2011-12 school year. While we were successful in completing negotiations of all language items, there was no agreement on the issue of salaries/wages. Click to read the whole document |
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Pension case headed directly to Florida Supreme Court
TALLAHASSEE -- In another
setback to Gov. Rick Scott and the other defendants, and another
victory for Florida’s public workers, the First District Court of
Appeal has granted the Florida Education Association’s request that
last week’s pension decision be certified directly to the Florida
Supreme Court for final determination.
Today’s ruling rejected the state’s opposition to the case being
certified to the high court.
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Should Seminole County
Teachers get a three percent pay raise? http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/opinion/os-poll-seminole-teacher-pay-raise-022412,0,1367254.poll |
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Current Frontline Report, 03/11/2012 |
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December 14, 2011
Contact:
Mark Pudlow 850.201.3223 or 850.508.9756 TALLAHASSEE – Florida Education Association President Andy Ford commended a ruling by Judge Terry Lewis in state Circuit Court in Tallahassee striking an amendment placed on the ballot by the Florida Legislature that would significantly alter the no-aid provision in the Florida Constitution. Judge Lewis said the ballot summary approved by the Legislature was misleading. Click to read more... |
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FCAT Scoring Changes
On Monday, December 19th, the Florida Board of Education
is scheduled to vote on a new scoring system for the FCAT, and it is
poised to adopt higher
cut off
scores for third- through 10th-graders. If the new standards are
approved, many more third-graders likely would face retention, while
many more high school students
likely would fail to meet the state's graduation requirements.
Florida Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson is recommending new
scores for the high school FCAT reading exam that are two points
higher than the levels supported by a majority of the state's
superintendents.
These developments raise a
number of questions and concerns for students, parents, and
teachers: |
 
Click the following links to:
View a 2-page overview you can print and share with other teachers!
Read a Q & A about the lawsuit.
To view the full complaint filed this morning go to
http://www.meyerbrookslaw.com/Litigation.htm.
PLEASE STAY TUNED TO
www.seminole-educators.org AS THIS LAWSUIT UNFOLDS! |
