rich 1.0 Action Network https://actionnetwork.org <link href='https://actionnetwork.org/css/style-embed-v3.css' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css' /><script src='https://actionnetwork.org/widgets/v6/petition/retain-teachers-support-students-and-settle-the-contract-now?format=js&source=widget'></script><div id='can-petition-area-retain-teachers-support-students-and-settle-the-contract-now' style='width: 100%'><!-- this div is the target for our HTML insertion --></div> Unite Summit https://actionnetwork.org/groups/unite-summit https://actionnetwork.org//images/generic_facebook.jpg After over two years of bargaining and mediation, Summit Public Schools has yet to settle a first contract with our union, Unite Summit. On March 17, our mediator released us to fact finding, the last step before it is legal to strike. Instead of acting with urgency to address the teacher retention crisis and provide appropriate services for English Learners, Summit’s CEO Diane Tavenner informed our Unite Summit bargaining team on March 18 that she was leaving the country, and for the next 17 days would be unavailable to even respond to emails and would not delegate authority to anyone else on Summit management’s bargaining team to make decisions while she is gone. This is unacceptable. The teacher hiring season has already begun; Summit needs to settle a fair contract NOW to retain and recruit teachers. On March 31, Cesar Chavez Day, Summit teachers will be voting to authorize a strike. This is a serious decision that teachers do not take lightly. We have informed Summit management’s bargaining team what it will take to settle our contract and we remain available to negotiate. But we have gone two years without a contract. Our students and our schools cannot afford to wait any longer. We need a fair contract now. https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/retain-teachers-support-students-and-settle-the-contract-now