FTA-FUSD Prepare for Mediation

We are currently at impasse. In August we move to mediation. The first mediation date is set for August 11th.

This graphic will help you understand where we are in the bargaining process:

We hope and trust that you are ready to take a stand to send a message to the district that the voice of its students, parents, and educators will no longer be ignored.

The Fresno Teachers Association is about advocating for our students, advocating for best educational practices, and advocating for the best working conditions for all. We will not be idle while the district claims that ALL we care about is our salaries and benefits.

Our proposals also call for:
Ø Class size caps to help our students achieve better academically.
Ø Hiring more college tutors to improve student literacy.
Ø Expanding CTE so that our students can get apprenticeships that lead to well-paying careers.
Ø Eliminating mandatory educator meeting hours so that we can use these hours to have more time helping students after school.
Ø Teacher autonomy so that we can use our professional discretion to add grade level appropriate supplemental resources to assist struggling students.
Ø Safer schools… for obvious reasons.
Ø More Social-Emotional supports so that our students receive a holistic education that shows we genuinely care about the whole student.

Even with $125 million dollars in reserve and projections of nearly $100 million in reserves for the next two years, the district’s bargaining team is still not presenting counter-proposals on several of our issues.

Remember, the goal is to AVOID a strike. However, we also need to put a strike in the context of past district action.

-After almost a year of bargaining FUSD refuses to have a conversation about class sizes, safety/discipline, special ed, and meeting hours.
-FUSD publicly says they offered a 90-10 healthcare plan, but offers no contract language to protect against future healthcare cost increases.
-FUSD submitted incorrect salary info. to the state and to its own trustees.
-FUSD offered a salary increase that averages to 1.16% per year when inflation is 2%.
-And in a new low, messaged to the public that we proposed that students be permanently banned from class for misbehavior…a complete LIE, which should be retracted.

WE are FTA. Therefore, the choice is ultimately yours. Are you tired of the misleading info.? Are you tired of not being treated as a professional? Do you want to help create the best learning environments for your students?

Please LIKE our FB page because more info. is coming.
Please stay informed and keep having meaningful discussions with your colleagues.