The Otter Valley Unified Union School Board and RNESU School Board and the union that represents the local paraeducators and bus drivers are among only three locations in the state without a contract for this school year.  Why is this?

Eighteen months ago most of these same board members decided to impose working conditions on these same employees. This decision shut down bargaining and led the districts and SU to the brink of a support staff strike in the fall of 2015. At that time, new wages for paraeducators and bus drivers increased an $18 million district budget by only $20,000 – about one-tenth of one percent. The average para and bus driver (if they work full time for the school year) make around $20,000/year.

Fast forward to today and these same employees are facing board members who refused to settle based on a neutral fact-finder's report in December. Instead the board is stubbornly stuck on changing the way health insurance is paid between the employer and employees which means future health care expenses covered now will be shifted to employees. Most of these employees work second and sometimes third jobs. This will make working for Rutland Northeast/Otter Valley Unified unaffordable for some. Plus, the board did not propose such changes in insurance coverage to teachers. Why are they treating support staff differently?

Salary wise support staff are only seek equity in how bargaining was handled with teachers. For this school year teachers received a 3.5% increase to be applied to salaries, but the board's last proposal for support staff was well below that. Staff make less in wages than teachers, plus in Rutland Northeast the staff who choose to stay working in our schools become among the lowest-paid in the region when you look at career earnings in other districts. Why won't the board be equitable in how it bargains with teachers and staff?

Please sign the petition to call on the school board to return to the bargaining table and negotiate a fair contract that is equitable with teachers, shows it values the work of school support staff and includes benefits that remain affordable to working people. The bus drivers and paraeducators serving the communities’ children are ready to bargain. Won’t you tell the board to do the same?