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Here's the latest...
1.24.21 update
1.24.21 update
Tentative Agreement Reached!
We are happy to announce, after another seven hours of bargaining, that we have a Tentative Agreement on additional COVID-19 safety measures, made possible by the breathtaking activism of students, families and members. Read the whole Tentative Agreement here.
A comprehensive update with highlights of major areas in the Tentative Agreement can be found here.
1.23.21 update
1.23.21 update
Major Movement Towards Our Key Demands
We bargained for 13 hours from 4pm Friday until 5am Saturday. OUSD made huge movement towards many of the core demands lifted up by students, families and educators. We are still working on ensuring safe staffing levels at all schools. While we have not yet reached a tentative agreement. See this PDF of the highlights from OUSD's most recent proposal to us. *Please note, we did not take the time to fix typos, since we are not agreeing to this proposal and wanted the document before leaving the table.
We have not agreed to their proposal, and we will be returning to the table tomorrow (Monday).
1.21.21 update
1.21.21 update
We have made important progress on two key demands lifted up by students, families and educators (Weekly COVID-19 testing for all students and staff at all sites and high-quality N95/KN95/KN94 masks for all students and staff for the rest of the year).
We will continue negotiations with a special emphasis on resolving our third key demand of providing coverage for staff absences. More work also needs to occur around our other demands such as: improved ventilation and outdoor seating.
*Any agreement reached is tentative until ratified by OEA members.
1.20.21 update
1.20.21 update
The Safety Bargaining team met with OUSD late into the evening to share our proposal and try to reach an agreement on the most urgent safety demands with the rises of Omicron and COVID-19 positivity rates.
Key demands include:
Weekly testing available at all sites + expanded hub hours
High quality masks for students/staff
Improved ventilation & outdoor seating
Safe staffing levels (i.e. coverage of staff absences)
*A signed MOU was reached on the issues of Covid leave, wellness, and edits to the school calendar on January 6, 2022.
We are meeting again as long as it takes on Friday, January 21, in hopes of securing an agreement that protects our membership, our school communities, students, and families.
12.14.21 update
12.14.21 update
The Safety Bargaining team split our offer into two packages, Package #1 and Package #2, to try to reach an agreement more quickly on the most urgent safety needs. OUSD was once again late in submitting their counter-offer, and it still didn’t include a retroactive restoration of Covid leave.
With Omicron on the rise and no Covid leave in place, negotiations can’t continue on like this. Both sides have agreed to request a PERB-appointed mediator to try to break the deadlock and reach an agreement to improve the safety measures in our schools and ensure the restoration of Covid leave. We are hoping to meet with the mediator this week.
11.16.21 update
11.16.21 update
Glimmer of Progress, then COVID Leave Expiration & Stonewalling
On Sunday, November 14th, we saw a glimmer of progress with OUSD finally participating in true bargaining. For 4 hours, the parties shared proposals and engaged in caucus discussion, the way this process should have gone all along. We made scattered progress, however, and OUSD ultimately allowed COVID Leave to expire.
In an unfortunate turn of events, OUSD changed course on Monday evening, November 15th, refusing to bargain at all. OUSD accused the Safety BT of “bargaining in public”. This was a reaction, in part, to video footage of OUSD educators sharing their frustration with the conditions at their school sites and calling on OUSD to take safety seriously. Instead of acknowledging the truth of what is happening on the ground and reaching an agreement to make positive change, OUSD wanted to discuss, what amounted to, hurt feelings and personal agendas.
The Safety BT has been organizing and mobilizing the community to put pressure on the district for months. OUSD is punishing the Safety BT, OEA members, and the community for having the audacity to speak truth. Our transparency in this process is embarrassing to the district and shines a bright light on the fact that the well-being of students, families, and staff is not the district’s top priority.
11.10.21 update
11.10.21 update
Unnecessary Exploding Proposal
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AGAIN STILL No Permanent COVID Leave extension!
OUSD agreed to submit a counter-proposal on Wednesday, November 10th, at 12:00 pm. OUSD did not deliver. This wasted valuable release time for several Safety BT members, time specifically taken to review the proposal ahead of the bargaining session that evening.
OUSD presented an all-or-nothing counter offer via screen share, with an exploding deadline of 5:00 pm, November 11th (a non-working day)! Expiration dates on proposals generally need a time-sensitive cause. OUSD claims an expiration date was necessary based on urgency related to the time required to mobilize additional COVID testing capacity. Nothing is stopping OUSD from ramping up testing capacity without a formal agreement. Also, where was this urgency with regards to getting the Safety BT a proposal to review at 12:00 pm?
The Safety BT rejected the proposal solely on the basis of not having enough time to review the entire proposal during a 45-min caucus. The team did not reject the proposal based on content, having not had adequate time to make that assessment. The Safety Bargaining also requested an all-day bargaining session for the week of November 15th. OUSD stall tactics mean that we are not making progress in 2-hour sessions.
Also, we still have no long-term agreement on the extension of COVID Leave. There is currently no official extension on COVID Leave past November 14th.
11.08.21 update
11.08.21 update
Your Thoughts on COVID Leave Bargaining
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STILL No Permanent COVID Leave extension!
We still have no long-term agreement on the extension of COVID Leave. There is another temporary extension of the existing leave until November 14th.
Thank you for completing the COVID Leave survey with over 650 responses in such a short time. We appreciate the feedback that came through in email and conversations, in addition to the survey.
Key takeaways:
You want us to keep bargaining for unlimited leave through to June 30th.
Capacity for collective action is unknown and/or limited
We hear you and are doing our best to translate your feedback into something actionable at the barganing table.
This website is a work-in-progress maintained by members of the OEA and other rank and file organizers who work in OUSD.
This website is a work-in-progress maintained by members of the OEA and other rank and file organizers who work in OUSD.
Any questions, comments, ideas, or concerns, please reach out to divyafarias [at] gmail [dot] com.
Any questions, comments, ideas, or concerns, please reach out to divyafarias [at] gmail [dot] com.
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