SCCOE Bargaining Update – 11/13/2020
Our press conference and socially distanced rally in front of COE’s headquarters on Thursday, November 12, at 6:30 a.m., garnered good media coverage and added pressure on management and the Superintendent to do the right thing.
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Media Coverage:
As a result of our SEIU 521’s union leadership with the support of members, here are some of our recent victories:
1) Stipends for all staff ($500 in October and another $400 coming soon);
2) Early Start staff is no longer required to be on-site two days a week when no students are present;
3) More extended re-opening, with fewer school sites opening next week and the process now extending into March, which will allow for more direct support from our behaviorists and administration;
4) More general site support at Seven Trees;
5) Reduced movement between cohorts by classroom paraeducators;
6) Itinerant staff will continue in a hybrid model;
7) Classrooms with no students present will continue to have the option to provide distance learning from home;
8) The superintendent has agreed to provide more health and safety training for all employees.
We need to continue pressuring management to ensure school programs are re-opened safely, that staff continues working as much as possible remotely, and to accommodate employees who need to work from home. It’s not enough to assume that things will be better by March. We must support each other, particularly those who are already back working in-person, to ensure that we all have safe working conditions.
SCCOE must centralize all training efforts across the board so that all departments are following the same standards and protocols. It shouldn’t be left up to individual departments like special education versus early start learning services. All of our cleaning protocols must be the same across the board so it is clear to all employees what the expectations are, and so that everyone will be safe, not just some departments.
Join us at the monthly membership meeting to discuss our next actions on Thursday, Nov. 19, at 5 p.m. via Zoom: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIkdOGqrT4oEt2-l1SoVQD2OJbKx6i6C3KA
The COE Board of Trustees will meet on Wed., Nov. 18, at 5 pm. We need members to participate in the public comment section. Log in to https://tinyurl.com/sccboe111820 and raise your hand to speak. You will be allowed one minute. Click here for the talking points.