Accusations Flying in SPS/SEA Negotiations - Strike Looks Likely

Update 1:

Superintendent Ben Shuldiner's latest message. I'll just say I think people are reading with positions already formed. Highlights (bold mine):

- When we received this, we asked for clarification around all of these new to their Monday comprehensive proposal. They admitted that it was new to the comprehensive proposal and that in fact they knew it cost millions of dollars more. At that time, we said thank you very much, we understand and respect the union's position, but we believe that this is the definition of "regressive bargaining" and we informed the union we would call PERC, the Public Employment Relations Commission, to bring in a mediator. I left the room immediately to call PERC to try to get a mediator as soon as possible.

Because we believed the union’s offer was regressive, we couldn’t continue to negotiate around their new document. Because if we did, that would be accepting this new document as the starting point of negotiations. Please know we didn’t storm off or act upset in any way. We informed the union that we were going to call PERC to bring them in to help negotiations.

And to the credit of PERC, we had a mediator sent this morning. We now have a mediator assigned to us and we are deeply wanting to reengage with the union alongside a mediator so that we can get a deal done before the start of school.

- I have a long history of fighting very hard for labor. In college, I co-founded the Progressive Student Labor Movement, I was part of the inaugural Union Summer program where I went door-to-door trying to unionize daycare workers in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago. I was an active member of both the teacher’s union and principal’s union in New York. I was even part of a professor’s union. I went to a summer camp where one year I slept in the Eugene V. Debs bunk and another year slept in the Joe Hill bunk. My grandfather started an apprentice union in the Brooklyn Navy Yard with Howard Zinn. Needless to say, I care very very deeply about worker’s rights and collective bargaining.

And, I made a promise to this community that I would always put students first. From my first newsletter to now, I have repeatedly said, I love our staff, but I am here for the kids. So let me be absolutely clear, SEA does not have to strike. Period, full stop. If they do, that is completely up to them. They have a contract that they signed and it will continue. The current contract they are working under remains in place. We are not the NFL owners who lock out our players trying to exact concessions or give-backs. We are good faith bargainers who are trying desperately to negotiate a contract that is good for staff and students. And the district has been clear that we would always be willing to provide retroactive pay, if they don’t strike, when a new contract is signed. There is absolutely no reason to strike other than to flex power. No one is “forcing” the union to strike. There is no Special Education agreement unless the union votes for one. There is only a desire to work together for the betterment of the district.

- We are willing to meet with the mediator, morning, noon, and night. We are willing to pay retro once a deal is done, we are willing to adjust and compromise, but what I am not willing to do is play a game with our children’s education.

Our schoolroom doors will remain open as long as we can possibly do so. But if they close, that is because someone else is shutting them.

end of update

Latest updates:

- Both sides say their info is accurate and the other side is not telling the truth.

- According to my sources, SPS walked out of the bargaining meeting yesterday. That is DEFINITELY not a good sign. And, no talks were scheduled today.

- The student-written Garfield Messenger newspaper has jumped into the reporting fray. SPS laid out their bargaining proposals late Saturday night:

The district presented its plans in 13 areas, including compensation and special education. They proposed total raises approximately five percentage points less over three years than the union’s proposal. They also claimed their special education solution would improve the staffing ratio for 70% of students with IEPs. In a statement, the union called the district’s solution one that would “hurt kids, damage learning outcomes, and add to the pressure on educators.”

- I would like to ask what might be a naive question.

 If the teachers accepted the district's raise offer would the difference in funds be enough to keep the Special Education aides that SEA says will be lost under the district's plan? Anybody?

SEA President Ibi Idowu makes picket signs at Judkins Park on Aug. 29. (Rafael Brewer/The Garfield Messenger)

As recently as Wednesday, SPS Superintendent Ben Shuldiner said, “I will be here anytime they want in order for us to get a contract.”

- The new group - SPS for Kids - seems to be evolving somewhat. As I previously related, this group had no About section at their website. They added one, saying they were volunteers, parents, and teachers. 

That hasn't changed at the website but elsewhere it is being stated that that it is a parent - Esther Stifano at North Beach Elementary - who put the website together at the request of some teachers. Another parent site says it's a group of parents. Hard to know what to believe but honestly, if you don't know who these people are, I'm not sure their info is necessarily valid.