July President’s Message
Happy Summer. I hope that everyone is having a  wonderful summer break. I am taking some time to rest and recharge and I hope you are as well. We have much ahead. We are still in negotiations for the 2018-19 school year and there is a vital school board election in November. 
Janus Decision
Last week the United States Supreme Court issued its decision in Janus v. AFSCME Council 31 holding that agency fee agreements are not constitutional in the public sector. In other words, public sector employees are no longer required to pay their fair share. Although we still must represent all employees, individuals can now choose to not pay dues. The goal of the people who brought this case to the Supreme Court was to destroy public sector unions and therefore take away our power. The media will have you believe that this is a foregone conclusion. The opposite is proving to be true. 
As expected, the financial backers behind this case have begun the second part of their attack on organized labor. They are contacting union members and encouraging them to resign from their union with promises of an instant pay increase when you no longer pay union dues. The American Federation of Teachers is reporting that this plan is not working as members are standing with their union. 
What does this mean for the Petaluma Federation of Teachers? PFT 1881 is a strong united union with a shared goal of working together to achieve the best possible education for our students as well as the best possible contract for our members. We have demonstrated our strength, resolve, and unity in the past and I am confident we will continue to do so. Any attempt to weaken or discourage us will fail. 
Negotiations Update
May 30 was the last negotiation session before summer break. There were conversations on parity and stipends. In a effort to move things along, both the District and PFT agreed to return with contract proposals at our next session on August 6. In addition to August 6,  negotiation sessions  were scheduled for August 30th and September 19th.
Please do not hesitate to contact me at [email protected] or 707-696-5118 if you have any comments, questions or concerns.
In Unity,
Sandra

MARCH 2018
Happy Spring! I hope you have a wonderful Spring Break.
I will be going to Texas to care for my mother and
attending the California Federation of Teachers
convention in Costa Mesa March 23-25.

PERB ( Public Employment Relations Board) Update
The Federation received word on February 5 that a PERB
Administrative Law Judge had issued a proposed decision
regarding unfair labor practice charges originally filed in
2014. You may remember that the Federation filed
charges against the District regarding 1) getting
information in a timely manner and 2) the District
restricting our First Amendment Rights. The judge ruled
that the charges we filed were "proven by a
preponderance of the evidence adduced at the hearing."
In addition it was stated that a violation of the EERA
(Educational Employment Relations Act) had been found.
What does that mean? It means that the District has been
found to have committed an Unfair Labor Practice. PERB
proposed that the District " Cease and Desist " from
violating our First Amendment Rights and unreasonably
delaying requested information related to Collective
Bargaining. In addition, Petaluma City Schools would have
to post a notice of the PERB findings in a clearly visible
location at all work sites for no less than thirty days. This
ruling is vindication for the Federation and the struggles
we have had with the District since that time. We were
hopeful that this decision would end an ugly chapter in our
working relationship with the District. Sadly, the District
chose to appeal this decision and in doing so, they are
spending additional District funds on their legal expenses
as well as forcing the Federation to do the same. In
prolonging this decision, they are signaling that they do
not want to move forward towards a better working
relationship with us. We have asked the superintendent to
reconsider the District's decision to appeal this finding. I
will keep you updated as we learn more moving through
the process.

Janus Update
Janus vs American Federation of State, County, and
Municipal Employees Council 31 is a case that involves
the right of unions to collect fees from non union members
for the services of collective bargaining. In other words, a
member could opt out of paying dues and still receive
most the benefits of being a member. The case was heard
at the Supreme Court on February 26 and could overturn
over 40 years of labor law. It is an attempt by some very
wealthy people to weaken labor unions. The Supreme is
expected to issue a ruling sometime between April 15 and
June 30. The current political make up of the Supreme
Court leads experts to believe that they will rule against
organized labor. The same financial backers of this court
case have put over $80 million dollars in a campaign
meant to further weaken labor unions by reducing
membership. Currently in other areas around the country,
they are actively trying have members leave the union.
Groups are calling and even going door to door in an
attempt to encourage members to leave their union. I am
not overly concerned about the effects on us. We are
united and I expect that we will remain so. Just know that
you may be contacted by these paid union busters after
the Supreme Court rules.

Negotiations Update
The Negotiations Team met last week to discuss the
results of the sunshine survey and begin the work of
writing our opening letter. This is the first step in the
negotiations process. Our Chief negotiator Suzanne
Garcia, made sure the team was organized and ready.
This year we are able to open the three Articles listed in
our contract as well as two other Articles. The results of
the survey will be used to determine what additional
Articles we will open as well as guide our opening
proposals. The top concerns of our members were
maintaining parity, salary, class size, and maintaining the
right to participate in concerted activities. We will begin
negotiating with the District soon. Remember to check
your personal email for updates after each session.

Union Blue Tuesdays
It’s time to wear your PFT t shirt. Beginning March 27, we
are asking our members to once again wear blue each
Tuesday to support our Negotiations. Wearing blue is a
simple and effective way of letting the District know that
we are united in our quest for a fair and equitable contract.
Contact your site rep or email me
at [email protected] if you need a T-shirt.

Catastrophic Leave
Our contract establishes a Catastrophic Leave Bank for
members with a serious illness or other emergency who
have used all of their sick leave. Each year, the District
donates 25 days to the bank. Our members donate as
well. We began the year with 99 days in the bank. We
have had several members in need of Catastrophic leave
this year. We are still in need of days. If it is at all
possible, please consider donating one or two days to our
catastrophic leave bank. You can find the form on our
website. Give your completed donation form to your site
rep or send it to the District Office.
In Unity,
Sandra

I want to take this opportunity to wish you and your loved ones a happy holiday season. I hope you
have time to relax and refuel. The work we did as a union in 2017 was remarkable in many ways. I
feel so fortunate to be able to call you my colleagues. I look forward to working with you in 2018.

AFT Membership Letter
   Are you aware of the benefits your membership to AFT provides? You can find a list of these
advantages at aft.org/benefits. You do need your membership number to take advantage of the
offers.
   We have members that no longer have their membership card and they do not know their
membership number. This year, I requested a new membership card for all our members. AFT
informed me they no longer send out new membership cards in mass, instead they generated a
letter for every member. You will find your membership number and instructions for requesting a new
card in this letter. These letters were generated from our database. If there is anything that needs to
be changed on your letter please notify me. I will make sure we update our information and request
a new letter for you.

Contract Update
   Our contract was ratified by the board on November 14 and is now is effect. The retroactive payment
for 2017-18 was included with your November paycheck and the 2016-17 retro payment was paid in
the December supplemental paycheck on December 8. The new salary schedule is online on the
Petaluma City School Website under the Human Resources Tab.The District is in the process of
preparing the final contract for review and signatures. Once the contract is prepared, we will be
providing a hard copy for each site rep. The contract will be available online as well. The District
expects to have the contract ready for publication by the end of January.

It's Scholarship Time!
   The Petaluma Federation of teachers will sponsor multiple scholarships that will provide a one-time
payment of $500.00 to children of “PFT members in good standing” who are graduating from high
school to attend a community college, a four year college, or other institution with a course of learning
resulting in a diploma or certificate of completion. The scholarships are for those graduating from high
school in the 2017-18 school year. The Petaluma Educational Foundation (PEF) will administer the
​scholarships. The graduating student must submit the application no later than February 28, 2018.
   This is intended to be an annual scholarship however, since the number of applicants will vary from
year to year the scholarship will be reviewed each fiscal year in the total context of the PFT budget.
   Applications are available on line at the PFT Website. Please email the PFT President
at [email protected] about your intent to apply. PEF will notify students of the scholarship
award and all of the details encompassing.
   All completed applications should be submitted to PFT President,Sandra Larsen, no later than
February 28, 2018. Submissions may be done via email, postal mail, or brought directly to the PFT
office. Late submissions will not be accepted.

California Federation of Teachers Convention 2018
   The CFT Convention will be held March 23- 25 at the Hilton Orange County in Costa Mesa. We will
begin the process of electing our delegates in January. If you are interested in attending the
convention be on the look out for nomination forms. There will be more information in the next
newsletter.

NOVEMBER 2017
How can it already be November? Once again it seems the school year is flying by. It is
report card and parent conference time at elementary sites and the first semester is drawing
to an end for secondary students. Thanks for all you do for students and families. I hope
you enjoy your hard earned break and have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Contract Ratification
The Federation has ratified the tentative agreement that was reached in September. The
agreement was approved by 97% of our members. We had 377 members vote, 366 voting
yes and 11 voting no. The agreement now goes to the School Board for ratification on
November 14. Once the Board ratifies the agreement, the contract will be in effect. You will
receive the 1.5 % retro for the 2017/18 school year in your November 30 paycheck. The
November pay warrant will reflect the increased salary. In addition, the retro will be for the
three (August, September, and October) previous pay warrants we have received this year.
The 2% which is based on where you were on the salary schedule last year (2016/17) plus
the $ 500 bonus will be included in a supplemental check on December 8. Remember retro
checks are taxed at a higher rate (IRS rules, not our District) and STRS will be
deducted as well.
2017 AFT Collective Bargaining Conference
A Look Inside AFT Bargaining Playbook
We had the opportunity to attend a two day AFT Collective Bargaining Training in Chicago
on October 27 and 28. AFT partnered with the Scheinman Institute at Cornell University’s
Industrial Labor Relations (ILR) School to offer training for locals in a time when collective
bargaining is under attack. This was the first step in earning a Collective Bargaining
Certificate from AFT and Cornell’s School of ILR.
This conference was a worthwhile endeavor. We had the opportunity to learn Collective
Bargaining techniques from AFT leaders. We built relationships with other locals and
learned of their negotiation struggles and successes. We were able to have conversations
with AFT president, Randi Weingarten and Secretary Treasurer, Lorretta Johnson. We
listened to motivating presentations and participated in educational breakout groups. The
training gave us both a fresh outlook and left us confident and rejuvenated. We are inspired
as we move forward to organize our next contract campaign.
In Unity,
Suzanne and Sandra
​
THE FEDERATION NEEDS YOU!
Would you like to become more involved in your Union? We need a member to serve on the
District Budget Committee. This Advisory Committee meets once a month to discuss the
District's financial outlook. If budget cuts are necessary, this committee will advise the
Board before they take action.
In addition, we will be establishing a committee to work with the District to discuss and
develop recommendations regarding professional responsibilities. We will need members
from TK-3, 4-6, 7-8, 9-12, Alternate Education, Special Services and SOCC.
If you are interested in serving on either of these committees, email me
at [email protected]

OCTOBER 2017
I wrote and copied the October Message before the fire. It was clear when I returned to the
office that the original message needed to be changed. For more than a week, we waited
and watched as the fire raged on. School was cancelled due to our unhealthy air and
members were evacuated from their homes. Four of our members lost their homes. Even in
this natural disaster, PFT Members volunteered at evacuation centers as well as
participated in fund raising activities. Thank you to all who help the community during this
time. I am proud to have you as a colleague.
Please accept my sympathies if you or a family member suffered a loss during the fire.
Know we are all here to support you and help whenever possible. If you were evacuated
from your home and used a personal necessity day due to the evacuation, call or email me .
I am working with the District to find ways to help our affected members. This is a time we
should be able to find common ground with the District.
The California Federation of Teachers contacted me immediately after the fire with an offer
of support for our members. In addition, the American Federation of Teachers will be
offering their support as well. i was impressed at their immediate concern and action. I am
so proud to be a member of an organization that is as carrying as CFT and AFT.
Below are sections from the original President's Message
After almost two years of work, our Negotiations Team reached an agreement with the
District. The highlights of the agreement are:
 2 % salary increase retroactive to July 1 , 2016
 1.5 % salary increase retroactive to July 1, 2017
 $500 one time bonus
 186 day work year with no change in pay
 Willie Brown ( reduced work load ) will be offered for 18-19
 Agreement to discuss a possible retirement incentive for those retiring next year, meaning
this will be your last year worked
 Members will have the equivalent of two workdays to prepare for the year/semester
 The Federation will have all labor rights allowed by law
 Committees will be established to look at Health Benefits, Professional Responsibilities, and
Stipends
This Tentative Agreement must be ratified by our membership. The election is happening as
you read this. Tuesday , October 24 is the last day to vote. Please see your site rep and
vote. Election results will be communicated via email.
Finally, a huge thank you to our Negotiations Team. It was an honor to work with them. Our
members and the students they serve were always their guiding principle. Suzanne Garcia
did an amazing job as our Chief Negotiator. Todd Siders, Matt Beaton, Elyse Vosberg, Matt
Caamano, Erinn VanderMeer, and Andrew Aja served on the team.
In Unity,
PFT PROUD
A union is defined as an organized association of workers formed to protect and further their
rights and interests. In our case, beginning at the national level educator unions were
formed to protect not only educators but more importantly students. On a national level, we
are affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers. They work to influence federal laws,
policies and regulations. At the state level we are affiliated with the California Federation
Teachers. They not only offer a great deal of support to our local, they work at the state
level to elect pro education candidates, get laws passed and overall improve the education
of California's students.
We do the same work in Petaluma but on a local level. We have a strong and dedicated
negotiations team that worked for almost two years to get our members the best possible
contract. We have officers and site reps that will come to the aid of their coworkers. We
have a grievance team that will hold the District accountable every time they choose to
violate our contract. We have an active political group (COPE) that will be working on state
and local elections. But most importantly, we have incredible members. We have 439
members this year. We have over a 99% participation rate !
We are strong! We came together last year in an amazing way. We attended school board
meetings, general membership meetings and socials. We leafleted parents and the
community. We had over a 90% participation in a Work to Rule Week and a one day Unfair
Labor Practice Strike. We are making a positive change for the educators and students of
Petaluma City Schools. We can and will affect change. We all need to continue to be active.
Most of all, we must stand with our fellow educators to demand the best from the State,
District, and Federal Government.

Happy Summer!  I don't know about you, but summer break came just in time for me.  This has been an incredible  year.  We  united in our efforts to demand the best possible education for our students  and  a fair contract for our members. I do not have the final numbers, but the participation rate of our ULP strike was very high.  Surrounding districts have taken note of our actions and we made a difference for educators throughout the area. Another added benefit of our working together has been the chance  to spend more time with each other.  Petaluma City Schools  is blessed with a team of exceptional educators. It has been a privilege to work with all of you.
I realize there are many questions about our next steps.  We do not have a contract yet, but there is some good news to report. The District has withdrawn their request for impasse. Instead , we have agreed to pre mediation. That means we will have a mediator present at our negotiation sessions to help us reach an agreement. We will not be at impasse, so the District cannot implement the last offer.  We are hopeful that with a mediator's assistance, we can reach an agreement. We expect to be back at the negotiating table sometime in late July or early August.  As always, there will be an update after every session.
There have also been some questions regarding the District's last salary  offer.  The District is required by our contract (Article 5, Section C ) to complete a parity study on May 10 of each year.  If that parity study shows that  we are not at or above the 50th percentile of the comparison group, our salary is to be adjusted by the amount needed to get us to the 50th percentile.  The study was completed this year and the District found that we needed a 1.82%  adjustment to reach the 50 percentile.  By contract, the adjustment is retroactive to July 1, 2016. The District's last offer of a 2% salary increase included the 1.82% parity adjustment. That meant the District was only offering a 0.18% salary increase. PFT maintains that parity is in our contract and does not need to be negotiated.  We consider the 2% to be in addition to the parity adjustment.
We also stand by our decision to reject the offer as it included a class size increase aimed at our TK-3 students and their teachers. We believe this to be detrimental to the learning environment of our youngest students.
Please take some time this summer to relax and rejuvenate.  Know that we will continue the work we started last year. We will continue to fight for the students of Petaluma City Schools. Together we can and will make a difference.​

In Unity,
Sandra

Petaluma Federation of Teachers
Negotiations Update
May 10, 2017
PFT started the session by stating:

• We expect proposals in contract language, rather than summaries for the community. 
• Language from previous Federation package offers, that have been declined by the District, are no longer on the table (Psych, SLP and nurses’ salary schedule).  
• Promises of a consideration of an increase in salary is unacceptable and not a serious offer, especially in light of the District’s very real increases to theirs.

The District responded with another package proposal written in the same form as their previous package.
It included:

• A parity increase of 2.18% - 2.43% for three placements on the salary schedule ONLY (Step 1/Column I 2.43%, Step 10/Column IV 2.18%, and Step 25/Column IV 2.43%). All other placements would receive 1.5%. All retroed to July 1, 2016. (see below for an explanation of what this means)
• Psych, SLP, and nurses salary schedule language from PFT’s last package 
• Increased school site class-size average for TK-3 (no exact numbers included)
• Willie Brown MOU for 2 years
• 48 hours notice of PFT’s proposed meeting language (not PFT Co-Chair of District Meetings). 
• 2 year MOU to suspend one professional development day - .5% increase in per diem.
• Two teacher workdays “primarily dedicated” as time for teachers, but still with a potential ½ day meeting for one of the two days
• Continue committee work with Stipend committee
• Ratify all previous TA’s
• Status Quo on all other open articles not addressed in package (No Concerted Activities)
• Extend the agreement to a three year agreement (2018/19) rather than the 2 years we previously TA’d 

The District announced they had completed a preliminary parity study as described in our contract (ARTICLE V, C p.3). The Federation is entitled to compensation comparable to five parity districts.The results seemed to be good news for the Federation. Members would receive up to a 2.43% parity adjustment. However, the parity study is incomplete. The District informed the Federation that their interpretation of parity meant that parity adjustments were to be applied specifically to only the three salary scale placements listed in our contract. (Step 1/Column I, Step 10/Column IV, and Step 25/Column IV)  All other members would receive a 1.5% salary adjustment. In other words, the only members who would get the 2.43% increase are those who are at those exact places It seems this proposal serves to divide the Federation, rather than bring the salary schedule as a whole to a more comparable level.  The Federation has requested a complete version of their study and calculations used.

The District continues to include language that allows for a ½ day meeting across a teacher workday, for an efficient opening of school. The Federation contends the extra language is unnecessary as administrators and teachers are certainly capable of working together in these situations. 

PFT did accept the package and countered with two proposals: 

• An MOU for 2017/2018 for Willie Brown with a 5 year reduced workload program limit
• PFT reserves the right to concerted activities (labor rights) by law.

PFT Rationale
There is no reason for the District to arbitrarily limit Willie Brown (Reduced Workload retirement option) to two years. Five years gives retiring members much more flexibility while potentially saving the District money.

Our labor rights are NOT negotiable. We are faced with a District that gives its administrators significant raises while leaving only scraps for the Federation. Had we been under contract, it would have been illegal to conduct our “work to rule” action. Our membership cannot proceed without our rights to use its labor power.  “Concerted Activities,” the right to use labor actions, must be protected.

The District stated that with the School Board’s direction, concerted activities is a non-starter and that impasse would need to be filed if PFT feels the same. Due to time constraints, the meeting was not continued. There was talk of scheduling another session, but nothing was confirmed.  Leafleting continues next week. We need your help. Wednesday, May 17 at 5:30 @ McKinley 
Thursday, May 18 at 5:30 @ Grant
Thursday, May 18 at 5:30 @ McNear

Your voice and participation matter! Thank you for your support and dedication to securing a fair contract for teachers and specialists. 

We are Union Strong!That is more than a saying for our members. We are united in our quest for a fair contract and are participating in actions designed to show our strength. We must continue to show up wearing union blue. (See your site rep or email me if you need a t shirt.) There will be organized actions each week designed to show the District and School Board our resolve. This will be a challenge as we gear up for end of the year activities, but we can do it! Please continue to participate in all actions and read PFT correspondence.

Our superintendent chose to respond to the issues listed on our first leaflet by sending a letter to families of PCS students and members of the "community" rather than directly communicating with us. The superintendent began his response with the statement " Petaluma City Schools is 100% committed to working towards maintaining competitive compensation for all employees." He does not understand our concerns are about much more than money, they are about respect. PFT proposed changes in our contract that do not affect the budget.The District has refused to agree to two non tasked days to work in our classrooms and to giving us a 48 hour notice for all District level meetings. In addition, they are insisting that we give up our rights. Under current labor law, we have the right to concerted activities and the District is insisting we give away those rights!

The District has no plan, based on their projected three year budget, to increase our compensation.They have not budgeted for a pay increase through the 2018-19 school year. In addition, if compensation is truly their highest priority, why are the attempting to remove parity from our contract? Why did the District re designate top administration positions giving them large pay increases while they had a structural deficit? Chris Thomas, the CFO, stated it was because these positions were assigned extra responsibilities. We have had much added to our duties without added compensation. Deciding to increase District level administration salaries while offering PFT a 0% salary increase is yet another sign of the District's lack of respect .

The Superintendent speaks of a structural deficit, not an actual one. In fact, the District's reserves will increase at the end of this year. Money not spent at the end of the fiscal year is added to the reserves and thus becomes one time money. One time money can not be spent for salary increases because salaries are an ongoing expense. In addition, it is considered deficit spending when the District takes money from their reserves. Gary stated the increase in STRS contributions was unanticipated. STRS increases were announced in 2014. Other districts have planned for the new STRS rates and were able to give their employees a pay increase. Budgets set priorities and our District's budget reflects theirs.

We have much work ahead. Talk to your student's families, neighbors, friends, and family. Let the community know that this is a fight for our students, Petaluma City Schools needs to stay competitive with other districts to attract and retain the best teachers. They must respect and value all their employees with their actions not merely their words.

Important General Membership Meeting
We are having a General Membership meeting April 17 at 3:30 at Casa Grande.This is an extremely important meeting and all members should attend. We will hear from our negotiators and discuss the path ahead. I look forward to seeing you there.
PERB ( Unfair labor practice) UpdateOn Tuesday, March 28, attorneys for the Federation and the District appeared before an Administrative Law Judge. This case involves the District providing requested information in a timely manner and our First Amendment Rights. We expect a ruling in May and will keep you posted.General Membership MeetingWhen
Monday, April 17th, 3:30pm
Where
333 Casa Grande RoadPetaluma, CA

In Unity,
Sandra Larsen

View the March message from Sandra Larsen here.

Apologies for not adding this one sooner

DECEMBER 2016
I want to take this opportunity to wish you and your loved ones a happy holiday season. I hope you enjoy your much deserved break. It will be nice to have some time off to relax and celebrate the season. I look forward to working for you in 2017.
 
The Federation's Negotiation Team met with the CSEA (classified employees union) Negotiators on November 28. The purpose of the meeting was to look for ways to support each other. The meeting went very well, and we discovered we have much in common. We are both dedicated to providing the best education possible for the students of Petaluma City Schools. In addition we are both working to negotiate the best possible contract for our members. We will continue to look for ways we can work together to achieve our common goals.
 
Elementary Bilingual Education Support
The District has been attempting to fill two Bilingual Resource Teacher positions for some time and has not been able to find qualified candidates. Two elementary sites, McKinley and McDowell, have a high percentage of English learners and have not had support services for their students. The district has developed a temporary solution for these sites for the remainder of this year. They will be attempting to hire bilingual aides to support English Language learners at both sites. In addition, they will be evaluating the Bilingual Resource Teacher job description and looking for ways to serve all English language learners in the future.
 
Upcoming Negotiation Sessions
Your Negotiations Team is continuing to work on securing the best possible contract for all of us. We have two sessions scheduled for December. We will meet with District Negotiators at the District Office on December 16 at 8:30. This will be our first opportunity to discuss financial issues. Our next session is scheduled for December 22 at 1:00 P.M. If you would like to be an observer at either session please contact our Chief Negotiator, Suzanne Garcia.
 
It's Scholarship Time!
The Petaluma Federation of teachers will sponsor multiple scholarships that will provide a one-time payment of $500.00 to children of “PFT members in good standing” who are graduating from high school to attend a community college, a four year college, or other institution with a course of learning resulting in a diploma or certificate of completion.
The scholarships are for those graduating from high school in the 2016-17 school year.
The Petaluma Educational Foundation (PEF) will administer the scholarships. The graduating student must submit the application no later than February 28, 2017.
 
This is intended to be an annual scholarship however, since the number of applicants will vary from year to year the scholarship will be reviewed each fiscal year in the total context of the PFT budget.
 
Applications are available on line at the PFT Website. Please email the PFT President at [email protected] about your intent to apply. PEF will notify students of the scholarship award and all of the details encompassing.
 
All completed applications should be submitted to PFT President, Sandra Larsen, no later than February 28, 2017. Submissions may be done via email, postal mail, or brought directly to the PFT office.
 
Grievances
Article XIV of our contract describes the grievance procedure. Grievances can be filed when there is a perceived violation of our Collective Bargaining Agreement. You can only file a grievance about issues covered in our contract. We have a strong grievance team
Dana Morelini (McNear ), Erinn VanderMeer (Kenilworth) , Connie Williams
(Petaluma High) and myself are your Grievance Committee representatives. Feel free to contact us with your grievance questions or concerns. We are here to support you.
 
California Federation of Teachers Convention 2017
The CFT Convention will be held March 31- April 2 at the Sheraton Grand Sacramento. We will begin the process of electing our delegates in January. If you are interested in attending the convention be on the lookout for nomination forms. There will be more information in the next newsletter.

Sorry we did not post this sooner. December's Message soon to follow!

NOVEMBER 2016

How can it already be November? It is amazing how fast this year has flown by. Elementary teachers have been busy with report cards and parent conferences and the first semester is drawing to an end for our secondary teachers. Thanks for all you do for Petaluma's students and families. I hope you enjoy your hard earned break and have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

The Federation has been very active representing you in various meetings and committees. There have been some major changes made by District Administration to districtccommittees this year. These changes were made without input from the PFT. EERC (Employer, Employee Relations Committee) is a committee that has experienced change. The meetings are no longer a part of the negotiation process. They are now held on separate afternoons, and members of the District Cabinet attend. These meetings are intended to be a time for clear and open communication between the Federation and the District, so if you would like to attend a meeting either to observe or present a concern to the group, please contact me.

By now, every site should have had a visit from District leadership. I hope everyone took advantage of this opportunity to speak openly and honestly about issues at your site and the district. Clear, honest and open communication is a vital part of restoring transparency and trust. If you have not had the opportunity to speak with Gary without your administrators in the room, or if Gary did not make it to your site, contact your site representative or me. We will request another visit for your site.

UNFAIR LABOR PRACTICE CHARGES
The Federation was represented by Sandra Larsen, Erinn VanderMeer, Suzanne Garcia, and Dana Moralini at a Mediation Conference at the PERB (Public Employees Relations Board) office in Oakland on October 18. The purpose of the conference was to reach an agreement with the district regarding unfair labor charges filed two years ago. The charges filed were about the District not giving the Federation accurate information in a timely matter and denial of our First Amendments rights of free speech. The latter is the most serious. It is about the District telling teachers that they could not pass out flyers 30 minutes before or after school. The Federation was eager to reach an agreement with the District and put this issue behind us. The District choose to send two attorneys and Linda Scheele. It seemed to us that the District did not share our desire to reach an agreement. After a very frustrating day, it became clear we would not reach a settlement. This matter will now be settled at a yet to be scheduled (due to District schedules) PERB Hearing. I will continue to update you about this matter as information arises.

NEGOTIATIONS UPDATE
The Negotiations Team will continue to send out an update after each session. These updates are sent via mail chimp to your personal email. Please be sure to read these updates. If you are not receiving them, you can email me at [email protected] and I will make sure your address is added to the list. Suzanne Garcia (McNear 2nd grade) is now our Chief Negotiator and Matt Beaton (Casa Special Education) has joined the team. We are working to create a team that represents all our members. Your Negotiation Team takes this responsibility very seriously and is working diligently to get the best possible contract for our members. We continue to be frustrated by the delays in discussing salary at the negotiation's table. Everyone should have received a joint communication about this delay. Chris Thomas (CBO) has assured us she and her team are going through the budget line by line. The end result will be a clear and accurate budget. The First Interim Budget Report will be presented at the December 13 school board meeting. We look forward to discussing salary and wages at our December 16 session.

New School Board Members
Congratulations to Ellen Webster and Frank Lynch for being elected to the Petaluma City Schools Board of Education. The Federation had endorsed both these candidates and looks forward to working with them.

Leaves
Article VIII of our contract is about leave. Section B is about Sick Leave and Section C is about Personal Necessity. Please take some time to read these sections. You may take sick leave to care for illness of a child, parent, or spouse. Personal necessity is for instances of personal or professional need. You do not have to give the district a stated reason for your personal necessity for up to 6 days a year. Please be mindful of social media when you take a personal necessity day.

THE FEDERATION NEEDS YOU!
We currently have a very low balance in our Catastrophic Leave Bank. Please see the attached letter for details and consider donating leave if you are eligible to do so.

​Open Positions
Membership Chairperson - The main responsibility of this position is to maintain membership records.

Site Rep - The main responsibility of this position is to represent your coworkers. There is a monthly Executive Council Meeting held on the 2nd Monday of the month. Currently Kenilworth, South County Consortium Teachers and Special Services do not have a Site Rep.

SEPTEMBER /OCTOBER 2016 
It is a little late for a welcome back message, so I will just say I hope your year is off to a great start. I will distribute a President's message at the first of every month for the remainder of this school year because communication is vital for all we do. We all must be informed about our successes as well as the challenges we face.

I would like to introduce myself to those of you I haven't met. My name is Sandra Larsen and I teach second grade at Valley Vista. This year is the first time I have not been full time in my classroom. I have a great partner, but it has been a challenge to step away from teaching full time. I did so because I believe a strong Union will benefit the education of all our students. We have much to offer and I will work to my fullest ability to give our members a strong united voice. My union days are Tuesday and Thursday. On those days I will be in the union office or attending meetings.

We began this year working without a contract. That just means that we have not reached an agreement for 2016-2018. Our existing contact is still in effect until we reach a new agreement. You can find a copy of our contract on the Petaluma City Schools website. Be sure to check the appendices too.

We have a Settlement Conference regarding our Unfair Labor Practice Charges filed two years ago scheduled for October 18. We will met with District representatives in front of PERB and our General Counsel to address concerted activities and the District not providing accurate budget information in a timely manor during the course of negotiations. There will be more information in the next newsletter.

There are three candidates running for two seats on our school board. The candidates are Mary Johnson, Frank Lynch, and Ellen Webster. Two of the candidates, Mary Johnson and Ellen Webster came to our September Executive Council Meeting. Frank Lynch will come to our October Executive Council Meeting. Our COPE Committee hosted a Get to Know the Candidates on September 20. There is another opportunity to meet the candidates on October 4 from 6:00-7:00 PM. AAUW is hosting the event at City Hall. This is an important election and it is vital we all get involved. The most effective way to make change is to elect a supportive school board.

We will have a General Membership Meeting on Thursday, October 20 at 3:30. We will meet at Petaluma High School in the Library. We will hear from our Negotiations Team and discuss our next steps. I hope to see you there.

I would love to come to your site to speak with you in person. You can email me at [email protected] or call me at 707-696-5118 to arrange a visit.

NEGOTIATIONS UPDATE
The Negotiations Team has been sending out an update after each session. These updates are sent via mail chimp to your personal email . Please be sure to read these updates. If you are not receiving them, you can email me at [email protected] and I will make sure your address is added to the list.There have been some concerns expressed about our delay is negotiating salaries and benefits . The District hired a new Chief Business Official, Chris Thomas, this summer. She began working on the budget with a goal of transparency and accuracy. The District requested we give her time to develop a budget before we negotiated salary. Your team believed it was in our best interest to agree to the District's request. Ms. Thomas is still working on an accurate budget. This is a change from the District's past practice. Past budgets have continually under estimated income and over estimated expenses. Again, we believe an accurate transparent budget is in the best interest of all our members. We will work to get our members the best possible pay increase that will be retroactive to July 1. The District has stated they will be ready to discuss wages at our November 2 Negotiations Session.

MEMBERSHIP CHAIRPERSON NEEDED
We are looking for a Membership Chairperson, The main responsibility of this position is to maintain our membership records. Please contact me if you are interested in the position.
775 Baywood Drive #302, Petaluma, CA, United States
[email protected]707-762-2184
​pft1881.org

Petaluma Federation of Teachers

Just a quick check in for the new semester…

Constitution Ratification
In November, the most current update of the constitution was ratified. Thank you to all that had great questions, organized the voting, and came out to vote. There are hard copies that your rep(s) will be receiving if you would like to take a closer look. It will also be posted on the websiste (pft1881.org).

CFT Convention 
The Convention will be held in San Francisco this year, March 11-13, 2016. Sandra Larsen (VV), Kelly Kovanis (PHS), Erinn VanderMeer (KJHS), and I will represent PFT. Thank you to the Elections Committee for getting this all done way before our deadline.

Important Supreme Court Issue
The Friedrichs vs. CTA case (LA based) has risen through the courts and has been heard by the Supreme Court. This is a very important case to us and to the labor movement as a whole. A decision is pending…could be anytime between now and April. In a nutshell, a teacher from CTA in Los Angeles (backed by large, anti-Union, anti-labor, well-funded political groups) has decided that teachers should receive the benefits of the Union and the collective bargaining agreement without paying for it if they so choose. This is NOT about political contributions. This is about Union busting. Any organization needs capital to run. Protecting the contract, representation, and all of the millions of things a Union does for its members AND non-members is not free. We cannot do our job with members not paying dues. We keep our portion (PFT has the smallest portion you pay per month) as low as possible. No organization can provide the protection without monetary support. With Justice Scalia passing, the imminent decision is questionable. The topic however has not disappeared. Depending on future appointments, this is not an issue that the supporters want to fade. I would love to discuss this further if people are interested. I plan to have a General Membership meeting in the near future. This will be one of the main topics of discussion.

After completing the revision of our by-laws, the PFT Budget Committee met about our dues structure and completed an internal audit. As per Article XII, section 3 of our Constitution, we have revised our dues structure. Starting in April, you will see a $4.77 increase in your dues.
Up to this point, PFT has been absorbing the increases for all other portions (AFT, CFT, AFL-CIO, North Bay Labor Council, etc.) of our dues. The recommendation to Executive Council was this small increase. Executive Council passed the motion in January. Please see the attached structure (last page of this memo). 

Survey
Thank you to all who participated in the survey about 1-1 devices and furniture. We take your comments and questions seriously. Executive Council met January 11 where we viewed the results, and we plan to look at each and every comment/question in the upcoming months. We will begin acting on and responding to what we can as soon as possible. We appreciate the activism and information.
More to come…

LCAP and District Leadership Team
I know I have been talking about this committee, but I can’t stress enough the importance of your participation in this process.When our structure for getting paid by the state changed (to LCFF, Local Control Funding Formula), our budget is now designed according to the LCAP (Local Control Accountability Plan). We HAVE A VOICE in determining where and how our money is spent through this process. PLEASE ATTEND!!
The next dates are: March 2, April 5, May 3…all are held in the board room at the district, starting at 6pm and ending at 7:30pm. I also understand that Site Councils are starting to have this as a topic. Please keep your ears open for opportunities to participate.

Furniture/Tech Difficulties
There have been many difficulties brought to Executive Council. Here are some guidelines as we wade through it all:
1) if you have some accident with the furniture, fill out a report. No one has to go to the hospital for this to be done. If a student falls, trips, whatever, and the furniture is part of the mix, please fill out the district accident report.

2) if you are having issues with what was promised with technology, please use what we have and document your efforts: 
a) check in with your Petaluma Pioneer/Tech support person. Email them (keep a record). 
b) Fill out a tech ticket…keep sending it, checking on it.
c) Email Lori Deen with your issues.
d) keep your rep in the loop and keep records of what is happening
* records will help us track what is happening and address issues if they arise

With all of this information said, I will sign off for now. Please keep participating, being activists for our students and collegues, and doing all the wonderful work you do every day with every student.

In Unity-