Union Strike

[Kyoko]

We are finally going on strike. It starts Thursday, and I am a bit anxious. We will be assigned the place to picket and do the shifts....

For now, it is said Thursday and Friday, and the district already announced the close of the school for those days. I wonder how this is going to work.... Union is asking 6 % pay increase and decrease on health insurance contribution, while the district want to freeze our pay for 2 years and increase the health insurance contribution. This means that we will take less money home.... :-(

 

 

 

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Both positions are extreme, so perhaps there is lots of room for negotiation once each side finds out how dedicated the other side is.
I am hoping this is short-lived.

[Lynda Kamrath]

So does the district increase in health insurance contribution mean the same as a decrease on the contribution by union members? Or, is the amount going up (increase) and the district is amenable to picking it up? Health insurance issues are a continuing problem, but should be separate from pay increases. Maybe the district will be amenable to no pay raise this year and renegotiating next year, but picking up the increase in health benefits. That would mean no more money coming home (unless you have an automatic pay scale based on years of service), but not less money. Keep us informed please.

[Kyoko]

Sorry may be I was not clear....
* School District ---- Freeze on pay for 2 years
Wants us to pay in more for the same health insurance.
So, this means less take home pay, naturally....
* Union ---------------- 6% increase on pay
decrease the amount we pay into the same health insurance.
This will mean we will have increase in take home pay from pay raise and decreased pay in for the
insurance.
It is snowing now, and I hope it stops by tomorrow....One good thing is that they are less likely to deduct out pay during the strike period because it will create more work for them to take it out and add it on at the end of the school year since we have to finish 181 days either way... Our district hired an attoney for $300.00 per hour to do this nagociation when we already have a solicitor. And this attoney is the same person who handled the nagociation at the other near by school district, where union got screwed. This school district got minimal pay raise, but very big increase in amount you have to pay in for the health insurance. People ended up taking home much less money...

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Our union caved and we are now paying more for health insurance and there is a cap on what the district will pay for their portion of the insurance. We negotiated last year and got no raise but the district continued to pay for a larger portion of our insurance. This year - no raise - we are paying a higher percentage of the health insurance costs and there is a cap as to how much the district will pay for it - which means: less income last year, increased loss of income this year, AND now the district wants us to take a 1% pay cut on top of even less of their contribution towards health insurance. 1% isn't a lot but we wanted to retire next year and our salary amount translates into our retirement. We may not be able to retire :( Plus class sizes have and are increasing and so are curriculum expectations.

[Kyoko]

It seems that all they care about it the standarized test scores.....

[Kyoko]

Strike day 1 is over. I smelled like I came out of fire because we were trying to stay warm by burning woods in the oil barrel...
They sai that nagotiation is getting worse, not better. Now we are to strike for 6 days....

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

I am so sorry. Will you be on the picket line every day? Where are you picketing - at the district office? Also, do I understand that you will still be paid for these days of striking?

[Kyoko]

We have 6 buildings plus admin. bldg. So every one is picketting the road/ drive way that leads to thier own building, so that they cannot cross the picketting line. They said that they are trying to bust the union by not giving the president of union to have release time to deal with union issue, taking away the grievance process, unsatisfactory teacher's opportunity to have improvement plan, etc... Basically we will be hired and fired at the will. So, if you have a principal who does not like you, you are done....It is snowing today, I just came back from my shift...... All members of the union are split in the morning and afternoon shifts, and we flip flop the shifts. We are getting a lot of support from the community, they have been bringing us coffee, hot choc. fire woods, etc..... It is just so sad to know that admin. & board view us like we are their enemies.... We are suppose to be a team..... :-(

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

When I was first hired as a teaching assistant about a hundred years ago (LOL), our district was like a big family. People cared about you throughout the district. When that wonderful superintendent retired, each succeeding one distanced himself/herself from the work force, instigated an "us and them" attitude, and run things like a big impersonal business. It is like everyone has forgotten that all of us should be working to make our youth successful adults and citizens. It is very, very sad.
A small example demonstrating the lack of interest the district has for employees, is that human resources doesn't even notify you that your credential is coming up for renewal. Don't expired credentials and fines needing to be paid, embarrass the district? How hard should this be with a huge personnel department and a spreadsheet? Wouldn't this be one small way the district could show interest in their employees? I am very eager to retire because I do remember those good old days when we all cared about each other and I regret the loss.

[Kyoko]

They made a statement on the district website that "Penn Hills Education Association - Union - is being spiteful, and playing games instead of bargenning" . They also put it on our electrict announcement board " Honking means higher tax" to discourage people from honking for support.
It's just sad. Monday's strike is canceled due to the snow....

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Just know that we lend our support to you.

[Lynda Kamrath]

Wishing you good luck with your strike. It is such a terrible time and feelings run deep. I get real agitated with insurance costs. Wouldn't it be great if there was a national insurance plan? It is sad that unions need to spend so much energy on insurance.