CAUSE ADVISORY
2023-24 CERTIFICATED Contract Bargaining Cycle
Update * As of June 14, 2023
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CUSD Employees, Families, and Interested Community Members,
At the most recent School Board meeting, held on Tuesday, June 13th, the Union shared the following:
(A) During the 22-23 bargaining cycle, District leadership rejected each and every SAFETY improvement proposed by the Union, many of which were designed to standardize our safety practices across the District, improve training outcomes, and directly benefit the well-being of our students and their families.
(B) The Union opened the 23-24 bargaining cycle with a singular focus, making SAFETY improvements before the 23-24 school year has begun. [Thus far, only the Union has submitted a proposal in the current 23-24 bargaining cycle: CERTIFICATED CAUSE (1st Proposal ) ARTICLE 14 SAFETY 2023-24.]
(C) Unfortunately, the District has not accepted our offer to bargain over the summer on this topic, or even provide a counter proposal before we return for the next school year.
These statements were immediately met with surprise by members of the CUSD School Board. It appeared the District’s bargaining team had not shared (w/ the School Board) that the Union is willing to bargain much needed SAFETY improvements over the Summer.
This can be viewed in the Board Meeting video, linked just below, at approximately MINUTE 2:22:55 …
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChhDSWR9aHg
… where Board President Jaime Diamond distracted in her phone, explains the pause, stating that she “Sorry, I’m just checking… because I believe I recall getting an email saying that… the District is willing to meet in the Summer months… so… ummmm… yup… so… I’m just… so… Okay! Any further public comments for items not on the agenda? Okay. I’m going to pause us for a 5 minute break” Upon the Board’s return, Ms. Diamond did not produce or cite any email that contradicted the Union’s public comment.
Perhaps Board President Jaime Diamond was thinking about the Union’s email invitation on June 5th ( Gmail – CAUSE invitation – Summer Bargaining. 2023-24 CERTIFICATED BARGAINING CYCLE ), when CAUSE offered to negotiate SAFETY improvements over the summer? (also attached).
Or perhaps Ms. Diamond was thinking about the CAUSE ADVISORY, also sent on June 5th ( Gmail – CAUSE ADVISORY 2023-24 CERTIFICATED Bargaining Cycle Begins Opening Session # 1 ), that reiterated the Union’s willingness to join the District, “if the District had any interest in making significant improvements to the SAFETY ARTICLE prior to the start of the 2023-24 school year” ? (also attached)
This for certain, no Board Member could have recalling a response from the District that expressed any interest in negotiating SAFETY improvements during the Summer, or that CUSD submitted a District counter-proposal on SAFETY, because the District did not.
The District had offered two (2) responses that pertained to the District’s availability to continue bargaining in the Autumn, 2023. (both are also attached) In the first email response, CUSD’s Human Resource Director, Diana Zapata, offered a set of dates in Autumn, 2023. ( Gmail * CUSD’s 1st Response:Availability – Re 2023-24 CERTIFICATED BARGAINING CYCLE )
In the District’s second response, also sent by Ms. Zapata, the District retracted the dates in the first response and suggested alternative dates. ( Gmail * CUSD’s 2nd Response:Availability – Re 2023-24 CERTIFICATED BARGAINING CYCLE )
[Note: The District neither accepted any of the dates offered (by CAUSE) at the end of the 22-23 school year, nor did CUSD offer any dates or a counter-proposal that suggested an interest to bargain SAFETY improvements before the 23-24 school year begins.]
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* C.A.U.S.E. – Yes We Can ! *