Schools

Strike-Authorization Vote Set Tuesday for Ramona Teachers Union

"The superintendent is trying to bust the union," said California Teachers Association spokesman.

Accusing the school district of “forcing” the action, Ramona teachers on Tuesday will vote on whether to authorize their labor union to call a strike.

Donna Braye-Romero, president of the Ramona Teachers Association, was quoted by the Ramona Sentinel as saying: “We don’t want to strike. We’ve never wanted to strike. The district is forcing the situation.”

The strike vote, set for the Ramona High School Performing Arts Wing, comes in the wake of stalemated talks and a recent school board vote to cut teacher pay 7.8 percent this year and 9.4 percent in 2012-13 and 2013-14.

Find out what's happening in Ramonawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Grant McNiff, a teacher and chief negotiator for the RTA, told the Sentinel: “Teachers will vote to decide if it’s OK to strike … to give the RTA executive board the authority to strike.”

Braye-Romero said a simple majority of those voting will decide.

Find out what's happening in Ramonawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The Sentinel quoted schools Superintendent Robert Graeff  as saying: “I know the county Office (of Education) will not approve our budget if it’s negative. We would have to take immediate steps to remedy. … Probably the county would enact a series of fiscal measures to either ensure we don’t go negative or we begin the process eventually to a state takeover.”

Voice of San Diego reported that Braye-Ramero said the union wants the district to include “restitution” language in its agreement with teachers.

That would basically mean that if more money comes in in future years, the cash goes to teachers. But the district would only agree to a clause allowing the two sides to “reopen” or renegotiate the contract if the state's finances improve, Braye-Romero said.

 The union could conceivably reopen its negotiations with the district at any time. But that doesn't seem likely. California Teachers Association spokesman Bill Guy said Graeff appears set on breaking the union.

“The superintendent is trying to bust the union," Guy was quoted as saying. “At our meeting, we offered to take the first-year cuts, just not all three years. They responded by saying that if we didn't accept the deal, they would impose even stricter cuts, and they did.”

Graeff pushed back, according to Voice of San Diego.

“What ridiculous person would say such a thing?” Graeff said. “I was a member of the CTA for 11 years as a teacher. That would be a ridiculous assertion.”


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