|
The charge, which was filed with
the California Public Employment Relations Board (PERB), is the latest in a
contentious bargain in which Yuba City teachers insist teacher turnover is
hurting students and YCUSD has the financial capacity to do more to attract
and retain quality educators.
“We still want a fair contract for
teachers. We’ve bargained in good faith and tried to be as flexible as
possible to reach agreement. The district continues to withhold viable
options for settlement,” said YCTA President Dina Luetgens.
“YCUSD may not be serious about
putting students first, but we are,” she added. “Members are telling us loud
and clear – do what’s right, fight to attract and retain quality teachers for
our students, and insist public monies intended for the classroom are spent
in the classroom.”
In a series of school board
resolutions, YCUSD is intimidating teachers by threatening that teachers may
be disciplined and dismissal procedures will be started if they participate
in a legal strike, YCTA charges.
“Teachers cannot be terminated,
disciplined or otherwise retaliated against for lawful participation in a
strike,” Luetgens said. "Our members have made the difficult decision to
authorize a legal strike if this ultimately proves necessary. We are prepared
to make this sacrifice for our students and our community.”
In addition, the district is
announcing prohibitions on picketing or demonstrating on a “street, sidewalk
or publicly-owned lands” near a school. YCTA is also charging the district
with bad faith bargaining in offering to pay teachers “premium pay” for
working during a strike.
Members voted overwhelmingly in
May to authorize YCTA’s executive board to call a strike in the event a contract
settlement is not reached. “We don’t want to strike, but we will for our
students, our schools, and our community,” said Luetgens.
###
|
