ALPINE SCHOOL TEACHERS STRIKE, CLAIM UNFAIR LABOR PRACTICES

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By Nadin Abbott

February 21,2014 (Alpine) At 6:00 on February 20, teachers at the Alpine Union School District walked off the workplace, joining an unfair practices strike called by the Alpine Teachers Association. Children and parents dropped off their kids at schools where striking teachers marched around the campuses.

The schools had a 65% attendance, according to Alpine School Superintendent Tom Pellegrino, in a tweet posted at the District webpage. Yet, from the reaction of parents at the District’s board meeting at Boulder Oaks Elementary on February 21, the school day was far from normal.

The board meeting was contentious, standing room only in n overheated room with overflow crowd.  Parents and teachers voiced overwhelming unhappiness with both Superintendent Tom Pellegrino and the Board. There were even calls for two members, Gina Henke and Glenn Dickie, who are up for re-election not to run again.

An unfair practices strike claims that misconduct in the treatment of employees has been committed by the employer; this include unwillingness to negotiate in good faith with the union representatives. 

The meeting revealed the gulf that exists between the two sides. Both sides admit to a serious economic problem, as well as a decrease in enrollment across the district.  But they differ on the solution.

Talks broke down after the union was presented with a similar proposal to one already rejected by the membership on February 5: a 7.58% salary cut and an $8,000 health benefits cap effective January 1, 2014, that will leave many ATA members with 30% or more less per year in total compensation. Because the district will extract double health benefits cuts for May and June, some members will receive NO pay in those months. http://www.cta.org/en/Blog/2014/February/Alpine-Strike.aspx

During the meeting, the overwhelming majority of speakers, parents, teachers and students, told the board to go back to the negotiations table and this time do it in good faith.

Mary Turner, a parent, for example, told the Board, “I have yet to hear the concerns addressed by this board.”

A speaker named David told the board that the board members should be ashamed. He also explained that he took part in three strikes over his career in the supermarket industry. He added that the scars are still there. “Cuts in contractual wages to keep the District viable are unrealistic and unconcerned for the District well being,” he said.

John Carter, another parent, put the blame squarely on Superintendent Pellegrino, and he asked for his removal. He also warned the board to consider not running again. One theme that emerged over the course of the night is that the Superintended promised to move to the District when he got the job, but he has yet to do that. Another parent mentioned he still lives in Del Mar and commutes in a District-provided vehicle.

Carter also added that there were two major failures in the District. The first was financial, as the District is on the edge of bankruptcy. The second is in human relations. He also added that 90% of the teachers have voted no confidence on the current leadership. He promised to work against the reelection of School Board Members.

Another parent said that the children have been forgotten amid the conflict. His son went to school and only 14 other classmates did such. “Picket lines outside schools should not happen,” he said, adding that this is scary to the children.

Two parents did mention that teachers told their kids about the strike. Joshua Vaughn said that his child mentioned that some teachers were losing their homes. The parent thought that was inappropriate, and went on to say that others have lost jobs and homes since 2008. He was one who lost both a job and a home due to the 2008 crisis. He believed the union was wrong. He was the only openly hostile speaker to the union.

Wendy Yoshinaga, a schoolteacher, said it is time for the Board to order Pellegrino back to the negotiating table.

Cathy Zmijewsky from the Lakeside School District told the Board that the Alpine District has some “incredible teachers.” She knows, because many of them are going to Lakeside to work. She also added that it would be a shame if Alpine continues to lose them.

She also told the Board that the District has some incredible students who are also leaving to go to Lakeside. “You would be foolish to lose them,” she added.

Several kids testified. Robby was short and to the point: “I am not going to school until the strike is over.”

After all were done speaking, the Board tried to answer some of the points raised. Their responses were met with boos from the audience at times.

Board member Gina Henke told the crowd that the people complain that members never speak, but every time they try, they are shouted down. Eric Wray had to gavel the gathering back to order.

Wray, addressed the gathering. He said that there was a procedure for the teachers to request another negotiating meeting, after a meeting scheduled for the 21st was cancelled by the District. At that point, the President of the union wrote the request and turned it in, before Wray gaveled the meeting over.

Another theme that emerged over the course of the evening is that the state issued a fact finding report looking at the issues as a neutral party.  Now the report itself has become a bone of contention.

ECM talked with Pellegrino (photo, left)after the meeting and asked specifically about this report. He told ECM that “if teachers take a 4.73% (cut), a little under a 4% reduction in salary, and a $12,000 health benefit gap,” along with the District laying off 10 teachers, “that will lead to an $800,000 savings and the district will be in a better shape.” He added it will be far from stable, but it will be able to correct its course.

Alpine Teachers Association President Gayle Malone told ECM, “The fact finder report said adjust personnel; the state fact finder did not say 10 teachers.” This has become a sticking point between the administration and the teachers. She added, “I know personnel can be adjusted because of retirements, and all these things that go on, people taking leaves of absence, and there could be reduction made to personnel, not necessarily 10, but pretty close to 10.”

Malone suggested that cuts should include administrative staff, since the number of teachers is already down 20% while enrollment has fallen 10%, yet “we have more District personnel with less students.”


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Comments

Alpine District School Board Corrupt

I watched a video the other day and heard one of the striking teachers call Tom Pelligrino a liar and decided I had to say something about the school board the teachers are dealing with. The Alpine School board is corrupt and Tom Pelligrino is indeed a liar. I called the school district when I found out someone who was sitting on the board had lied to the people of Alpine about his character to get elected. I think I had the right to and the duty to come forward, to find out how Dr. Timothy Caruthers could be removed. What did Tom Pelligrino do?, he went to fellow board member and told him of my accusations which I have proof of and I had a very angry Tim Caruthers at my door trying to keep me quiet by a half assed attempt to bribe me. What did Tom Pelligrino do, I called Mr pelligrino and told him he had come to my house and tried to bribe me and again he refused to talk to me until I started e-mailing fellow board members and the Board of Education. Then and only then did he call me to hear what I had to say and all he did was try to placate me and make excuses for Tim Caruthers behavior. So Tom Pelligrino and a few of those very board members the teachers are nogatiating with know that fellow board member Timothy Caruthers is a liar. How do you negotiate with liars? They are more concerned with their postion on the board than the people of Alpine who got lied too in 2012.They need to get rid of every board member who has kept the secret about Tim Caruthers starting with that lying Tom Pelligrino.