WTU rallies for new contract

[Anonymous]

https://wjla.com/news/local/dc-teachers-rally-contract-washington-education-pay-bowser-union-district-dmv-public-schools-classroom?fbclid=IwAR0lBCgIR4cYZLvu7ErHJD9TZsFiDHlK5IN7rkIKJ7CZ4_XfMQjzhdtrdDw

In the article, the WTU president references the fact that her worst fear of a contract is not delivered, there will not be teachers in the classroom come august.

Would you support the teachers in their effort for a new contract? Why? Why not?

[Anonymous]

They are absolutely evil to be threatening to strike.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They are absolutely evil to be threatening to strike.

Could you provide some examples of other ways you would like them to advocate for a new contract?

[Anonymous]

It’s unconscionable that they don’t have a contract after 3 years. Bowser needs to sit down and get this done before august.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They are absolutely evil to be threatening to strike.

Could you provide some examples of other ways you would like them to advocate for a new contract?

Pretty much any way except that? But sure, you can keep on asserting that teacher’s unions can do whatever they want to advance their interests, and that the interests of children are irrelevant to the union. And if you say that, I will assert that the union is evil because they are using their power to hurt children. Even the threat of hurting children is unconscionable. The sad part is, most DC parents would actually support teachers getting a good contract - but when you make clear you don’t GAF about hurting kids, you lose your natural allies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s unconscionable that they don’t have a contract after 3 years. Bowser needs to sit down and get this done before august.

I don’t think WTU was trying to negotiate for a contract during covid - why would they have wanted to? this is a lie.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s unconscionable that they don’t have a contract after 3 years. Bowser needs to sit down and get this done before august.

I don’t think WTU was trying to negotiate for a contract during covid - why would they have wanted to? this is a lie.

They have been

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They are absolutely evil to be threatening to strike.

Could you provide some examples of other ways you would like them to advocate for a new contract?

Pretty much any way except that? But sure, you can keep on asserting that teacher’s unions can do whatever they want to advance their interests, and that the interests of children are irrelevant to the union. And if you say that, I will assert that the union is evil because they are using their power to hurt children. Even the threat of hurting children is unconscionable. The sad part is, most DC parents would actually support teachers getting a good contract - but when you make clear you don’t GAF about hurting kids, you lose your natural allies.

Would you mind building on your first sentence? What are some other ways?

[Anonymous]

I hate how these negotiations are such a game. The union has to threaten a strike because it is their best leverage. Which is exhausting. The problem is that this is viewed as an adversarial relationship between the mayor and the union. Why? In their their interests should be aligned. But in reality the mayor is going to try to squeeze the union and refuse things that would be beneficial for all kids in DCPS, like more teachers aides, more subs, better facilities, etc. Meanwhile the union will demand some things in good faith but other things… not so much. Often the union has unrealistic demands and views any compromise has failure. Covid was a perfect example of this because the union was often demanding things like N95s for all teachers (which most teachers would have found too uncomfortable to wear) or persisting in demanding Wednesday closures for cleaning even well after it was established that Covid doesn’t spread via fomites on surfaces. It’s fighting for the sake of fighting snd it is tiresome.

The negotiation process is broken and we need to reconstruct it so it is designed for consensus building. We are actually all on the same side.

[Anonymous]

I am new to DCPS (first year was last year) so new this particular issue. Has Bowser not been willing to sit at the table because their demands have been un-meetable?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am new to DCPS (first year was last year) so new this particular issue. Has Bowser not been willing to sit at the table because their demands have been un-meetable?

This is how contract negotiations have happened for years. Contract expires, lots of negotiation but no one actually knows what the demands are because it’s all behind closed doors, eventually a contract is agreed to with not much change except a pay increase and teachers get back pay for the years the contract was expired.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They are absolutely evil to be threatening to strike.

Could you provide some examples of other ways you would like them to advocate for a new contract?

Pretty much any way except that? But sure, you can keep on asserting that teacher’s unions can do whatever they want to advance their interests, and that the interests of children are irrelevant to the union. And if you say that, I will assert that the union is evil because they are using their power to hurt children. Even the threat of hurting children is unconscionable. The sad part is, most DC parents would actually support teachers getting a good contract - but when you make clear you don’t GAF about hurting kids, you lose your natural allies.

Would you mind building on your first sentence? What are some other ways?

NP but teachers could work to the contract:
Only at school during contracted hours (no after school extra help, club meetings, etc.)
Only cover classes under the contractual way (I don’t remember what it is but there’s something where you don’t have to give up your planning every day for class coverage)
Don’t write any college recommendation or scholarship recommendation letters because it’s not in the contract (HS mostly, and this one most teachers won’t actually do but it’s effective)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They are absolutely evil to be threatening to strike.

Could you provide some examples of other ways you would like them to advocate for a new contract?

Pretty much any way except that? But sure, you can keep on asserting that teacher’s unions can do whatever they want to advance their interests, and that the interests of children are irrelevant to the union. And if you say that, I will assert that the union is evil because they are using their power to hurt children. Even the threat of hurting children is unconscionable. The sad part is, most DC parents would actually support teachers getting a good contract - but when you make clear you don’t GAF about hurting kids, you lose your natural allies.

Would you mind building on your first sentence? What are some other ways?

NP but teachers could work to the contract:
Only at school during contracted hours (no after school extra help, club meetings, etc.)
Only cover classes under the contractual way (I don’t remember what it is but there’s something where you don’t have to give up your planning every day for class coverage)
Don’t write any college recommendation or scholarship recommendation letters because it’s not in the contract (HS mostly, and this one most teachers won’t actually do but it’s effective)

These are all really good ideas! However I’m looking at the first two and I don’t see how they would work practically. A lot of teachers are afraid to defy their admin or ruin a positive working relationship by refusing to cover.

And honestly for the first one; teaching is so much harder if you don’t have your materials prepped, and that typically gets done outside of contract hours. We’d be making our lives worse. I totally get what your saying but I think it works better in theory than in practice

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am new to DCPS (first year was last year) so new this particular issue. Has Bowser not been willing to sit at the table because their demands have been un-meetable?

This is how contract negotiations have happened for years. Contract expires, lots of negotiation but no one actually knows what the demands are because it’s all behind closed doors, eventually a contract is agreed to with not much change except a pay increase and teachers get back pay for the years the contract was expired.

Thank you. It's hard to rally support (at least for me) when we don't know what they're fighting for. I find it hard to believe that if they are making reasonable demands that Bowser would just ignore them, but again I'm new so....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am new to DCPS (first year was last year) so new this particular issue. Has Bowser not been willing to sit at the table because their demands have been un-meetable?

This is how contract negotiations have happened for years. Contract expires, lots of negotiation but no one actually knows what the demands are because it’s all behind closed doors, eventually a contract is agreed to with not much change except a pay increase and teachers get back pay for the years the contract was expired.

Yes, this is correct