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Simple Action of Support:
Will you please wear black on Monday, October 18th, to show solidarity with your SESPA colleagues while your bargaining team is at the table?

Update:
Two weeks have passed since our last negotiations session, and we know members are wondering what happened at the table and what the next steps in the bargain may bring. Honestly, your SESPA bargaining team was so stunned after the September 30th bargaining session, it took us some time to consider how to best share our deep disappointment in the District.

After a month away from the bargaining table, while our members worked with no contract, the District bargaining team came to us on September 30th with a counter proposal that reflected no changes from their prior proposal of August 31st! No Changes!

Why would we say “yes” to a proposal we’d already rejected? Did the District think that by waiting they’d worn us down, and you down?

That didn’t happen. We prepared a counter proposal and presented it to the District. Then we waited….for two hours!

And the District sent us home. They didn’t have the courtesy to let us know they wouldn’t be ready to make a counter offer that evening. They let us sit, though they didn’t have anything to share with us. Your SESPA bargaining team was stunned!

Upcoming Negotiations:
After telling the SESPA team they wouldn’t be ready to make a counter-proposal that evening, the District suggested we calendar ONE date to meet. They suggested October 19th. October 19th! Almost three weeks later!

We offered to empty our calendars, bargain on Saturdays and Sundays, bargain night or day. We offered TEN dates our team would be willing to meet!

The District decided they would be willing to move our joint session one day earlier and schedule two dates. Unbelieveable!

We will be negotiating during the day on October 18th. If we don’t reach a settlement, we will bargain again the next day on October 19th.

Calendar:
On September 30th we did reach agreement on one thing: this upcoming year’s work day calendar. The District has published a work year calendar for SESPA employees on the District website. They also delivered the agreed upon calendars to SESPA members’ boxes. The calendar reflects NO CUTS in the work year for 2010-2011! The calendar also reflects the specific days SESPA members are expected to work.

Again - Simple Action of Support:
Will you please wear black on Monday, October 18th, to show solidarity with your SESPA colleagues while your bargaining team is at the table?

Thank you,
Your SESPA Bargaining Team