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 pftoffice775@gmail.com 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 pftoffice775@gmail.com 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
pftoffice775@gmail.com707-762-2184
pft1881.org
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 pftoffice775@gmail.com 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 pftoffice775@gmail.com 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
pftoffice775@gmail.com707-762-2184
pft1881.org
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