June 14, 2009
Dear Colleagues,
The end of the school year is near but the looming budget crisis is on the minds of all of our members. The Executive Board, Bargaining Team and the VTA members of the Budget Committee have written an update for our members. Please read it below. We also asked at the Rep Council meeting for all Reps to gather summer contact information from Prob 1's, Prob 2's and Permanent Status teachers who have ten (10) years or less service to VUSD as a precautionary measure in case of late summer RIF notices. Please send the contact information to the VTA office. As we hear news over the summer we will contact all teachers via email.
Jan O' Reilly
VTA President
www.vistata.org
_____________________________________________________________________
VTA Budget and Bargaining Update
June 12, 2009
VTA members,
As you know, times are tough in California. The California Budget is the worst in history. Layoffs, program cuts, and reduced services of this magnitude have not been experienced since the Great Depression.
So where are we?
Negotiations-we are near agreements on the following:
· Per contract a Buy Back Day will be cut, most likely in January but we have not worked out the final language.
· K-5 collaboration time.
The district has expressed interest in:
· Cutting calendar days (i.e. furloughs, release days)
· Cutting salary
· Freezing step and column movement
· Eliminating or modifying K-3 CSR
· Increasing class sizes at 6-12
· Expanding District rights for involuntary transfers
Note: If a tentative agreement is reached, even over the summer, then the following steps must occur:
1) Executive Board must approve tentative agreement(s)
2) Rep. Assembly meeting must be scheduled in order to authorize a vote of the general membership to ratify the contract
3) A 10-day posting period and subsequent 14-day voting period are required by VTA by-laws
4) A majority vote would send the agreement to the VUSD School Board for approval
New Round of Layoffs
As a precautionary measure we are requesting summer contact information from Prob 1, Prob 2 and Permanent Status teachers who have ten years or less of service in VUSD. Site Reps have the information sheets and should have held a 10 minute meeting to disseminate this information.
The current economic crisis, by state law, allows school districts to expand the cut-off date for employee layoffs to August 15th. We anticipate the Board to take action on June 18th (at their 5 PM public meeting at Temple Heights) to authorize Human Resources to notify additional employees that they are being RIF’ed.
The VTA Executive Board will do our best to stay on top of the budget crisis and keep you informed. Please ask your Reps if you have any questions and let them know how they can contact you over the summer. We will try to have a Unit Member meeting in August before the first Buy Back Day. Stay tuned!
www.vistata.org
The end of the school year is near but the looming budget crisis is on the minds of all of our members. The Executive Board, Bargaining Team and the VTA members of the Budget Committee have written an update for our members. Please read it below. We also asked at the Rep Council meeting for all Reps to gather summer contact information from Prob 1's, Prob 2's and Permanent Status teachers who have ten (10) years or less service to VUSD as a precautionary measure in case of late summer RIF notices. Please send the contact information to the VTA office. As we hear news over the summer we will contact all teachers via email.
Jan O' Reilly
VTA President
www.vistata.org
_____________________________________________________________________
VTA Budget and Bargaining Update
June 12, 2009
VTA members,
As you know, times are tough in California. The California Budget is the worst in history. Layoffs, program cuts, and reduced services of this magnitude have not been experienced since the Great Depression.
So where are we?
Negotiations-we are near agreements on the following:
· Per contract a Buy Back Day will be cut, most likely in January but we have not worked out the final language.
· K-5 collaboration time.
The district has expressed interest in:
· Cutting calendar days (i.e. furloughs, release days)
· Cutting salary
· Freezing step and column movement
· Eliminating or modifying K-3 CSR
· Increasing class sizes at 6-12
· Expanding District rights for involuntary transfers
Note: If a tentative agreement is reached, even over the summer, then the following steps must occur:
1) Executive Board must approve tentative agreement(s)
2) Rep. Assembly meeting must be scheduled in order to authorize a vote of the general membership to ratify the contract
3) A 10-day posting period and subsequent 14-day voting period are required by VTA by-laws
4) A majority vote would send the agreement to the VUSD School Board for approval
New Round of Layoffs
As a precautionary measure we are requesting summer contact information from Prob 1, Prob 2 and Permanent Status teachers who have ten years or less of service in VUSD. Site Reps have the information sheets and should have held a 10 minute meeting to disseminate this information.
The current economic crisis, by state law, allows school districts to expand the cut-off date for employee layoffs to August 15th. We anticipate the Board to take action on June 18th (at their 5 PM public meeting at Temple Heights) to authorize Human Resources to notify additional employees that they are being RIF’ed.
The VTA Executive Board will do our best to stay on top of the budget crisis and keep you informed. Please ask your Reps if you have any questions and let them know how they can contact you over the summer. We will try to have a Unit Member meeting in August before the first Buy Back Day. Stay tuned!
www.vistata.org