Today staff members were riled up a
little. This morning the guidance counselor sent an email to the ISEA
members, union members, about the current state of affairs with our
contracts. He also mentioned our negotiations team members needed to
be doing more. Our superintendent has said that paying employees for
opting out of health insurance is illegal, and she said that next
year those employees won’t be getting the $10,000 a year. The union
lawyers stepped in and said it’s not illegal, and other districts
are doing it. So the union lawyers and district lawyers are going
back and forth. In the meantime, it has led to a lot of uncertainty
and speculation in the district. The health insurance isn’t good,
but the only way to opt out is to go with your spouse's plan. Well if
you aren’t married you have to go with the school's insurance, and
you use that $10,000 to pay for the insurance. All the members of the
negotiating committee take the school’s insurance. One of them even
said, “If I’m forced to buy why shouldn’t everyone else have to
buy it too.” I find that disturbing. You may think that, but don’t
say that to other union members. The guidance counselor has sent
emails to the superintendent asking to be updated on the progress,
and he copies the entire district on those emails. Many people are
upset by those emails because he doesn’t use a lot of tact, and it
doesn’t allow the negotiations committee to do it’s job. I do
think that they haven’t communicated things well, and people are
very easily riled by this. Talking about taking away one fifth of an
already underpaid employee's salary is a riot waiting to happen. I think
someone will get the pitch forks and torches soon. Also, unions
really break the teacher rule of equal isn’t fair, so teacher’s
unions are a little ironic.
Today at lunch we were discussing the
emails,
I know I made a good choice because I
won’t have to pay union dues or worry about a negotiations
committee for my salary or benefits.