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Re: Jersey City teachers protest outside parent-teacher conferences
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Home away from home
 
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Jersey City teachers win skirmish with district over parent-teacher conferencesBy JERSEY CITY -- Score one for the teachers union. The Jersey City school district and the Jersey City Education Association have agreed that parent-teacher conferences starting next week will run 90 minutes, as preferred by teachers, and not two hours, the running time district officials wanted. The change counts as a win for JCEA President Ron Greco, who last November led teachers on a protest outside parent-teacher conferences because district officials added the extra half-hour. Greco threatened another protest if the conferences ran for two hours and not 90 minutes. Last year, Greco said the district adding 30 minutes was a schedule change that should have been negotiated with the union. District spokeswoman Maryann Dickar, meanwhile, argued that the bonus half-hour was necessary to make sure all parents had time to meet with teachers. Read more: http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/20 ... rict_ov.html#incart_river
Posted on: 2015/4/14 22:57
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Re: Jersey City teachers protest outside parent-teacher conferences
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Home away from home
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Of all the issues that the district and the union disagree about, this looks like an awfully stupid one to go to war over. Whoever escalates and takes the last action ends up looking bad.
Although from the union's perspective, I can understand that the parent-teacher conferences are a visible event that can bring their position to the public.
Posted on: 2014/12/10 14:28
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Re: Jersey City teachers protest outside parent-teacher conferences
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Home away from home
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Jersey City school district to reprimand teachers for protesting outside parent-teacher conferences
By Terrence T. McDonald | The Jersey Journal December 09, 2014 at 7:02 PM JERSEY CITY ? The public-school district is issuing reprimands to teachers who showed up 30 minutes late to November's parent-teacher conferences, an action the teachers took to protest a labor dispute. The district's move is the latest in a series of dustups between school officials and the local teachers union, the Jersey City Education Association. The two sides have been at odds for more than a year as they negotiate a new contract for the teachers. The letters of reprimand will be issued by Dec. 12 and will be placed in the teachers' personnel files. District spokeswoman Maryann Dickar said whenever employees fail to report to work on time, their supervisors are "expected to follow up with appropriate action." "Teachers chose to ignore the established protocols for addressing labor disputes and chose to not attend their assignments on time when hundreds of parents were waiting to see them," Dickar said in an email. Read more: http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/20 ... est_clash_with_union.html
Posted on: 2014/12/10 5:40
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Re: Jersey City teachers protest outside parent-teacher conferences
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Home away from home
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Report card conferences have traditionally been held from 6:30 - 8:00 pm. For those parents of high school students, it was always very difficult to meet with all teachers (8 subjects at McNair). The hours were expanded from 6 -8 pm., so this is indeed an extra half hour of work.
Posted on: 2014/11/22 18:47
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Re: Jersey City teachers protest outside parent-teacher conferences
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Home away from home
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Do teachers ever protest the shabby condition of the schools or lack of sufficient teaching materials?
Also when a school is threatened with a state takeover, why do teachers try to prevent it? Seems like a state takeover at a failing school is best for the students.
Posted on: 2014/11/21 23:20
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Re: Jersey City teachers protest outside parent-teacher conferences
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Just can't stay away
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Protesting the earlier start by standing out front yelling for the entire 1/2 hour they are protesting about....not very smart. And try explaining the yelling teachers to your 5 year kid.
Posted on: 2014/11/21 23:03
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Re: Jersey City teachers protest outside parent-teacher conferences
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Home away from home
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Do the teachers go home at 3:30 pm and then come back at 6pm? Seems odd to do so.
I'd have expected they stay at the school and do the parents evening, in which case starting at 6 pm or 6:30 pm makes no difference. Robin.
Posted on: 2014/11/21 22:49
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Re: Jersey City teachers protest outside parent-teacher conferences
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Home away from home
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Ok, based on what Greco said in public comments, it appears there was NOT a PERC decision in the union's favor. Basically PERC told them "You are bargaining right now, so address this matter too." It doesn't mean that it is "Established Past Practice" or that the district committed an improper practice by asking the teachers to work at 6:00. (It doesn't mean they did not commit one either).
Posted on: 2014/11/21 21:01
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Re: Jersey City teachers protest outside parent-teacher conferences
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Home away from home
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The issue is that those contracts exist in the first place. Most educated professionals in the NYC area on salary are required to work as long as it takes to get the job done and please their boss/clients. It's as though these teachers see their work as an entitlement rather than a job. Uh no, just like parents, a teacher's job is never done. There have to be limits.
Posted on: 2014/11/21 20:04
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Re: Jersey City teachers protest outside parent-teacher conferences
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Home away from home
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Thanks for the clarification, Joshua. I stand corrected! I misread your post. If your data is correct, then I agree that 2 to 3 thousands over 10 years is very little.
Posted on: 2014/11/21 19:27
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Re: Jersey City teachers protest outside parent-teacher conferences
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Home away from home
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Quote:
The issue is that those contracts exist in the first place. Most educated professionals in the NYC area on salary are required to work as long as it takes to get the job done and please their boss/clients. It's as though these teachers see their work as an entitlement rather than a job.
Posted on: 2014/11/21 19:23
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Re: Jersey City teachers protest outside parent-teacher conferences
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Home away from home
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No, two to three thousand dollars over the first 10 years.
Posted on: 2014/11/21 17:52
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Re: Jersey City teachers protest outside parent-teacher conferences
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Home away from home
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To a lot of people, an annual raise of "two to three thousand dollars" would be incredible and something to be happy about. And, based on a salary of around 50K, it amounts to about 5%, annually. I would agree this is not earth shattering money, but keeping it in perspective vis a vis what other people make, this is fairly generous.
Posted on: 2014/11/21 17:51
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Re: Jersey City teachers protest outside parent-teacher conferences
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I don't think it is really accurate to say that the teachers worked the extra half an hour as a "courtesy."
Assuming the union is correct that the "past practice" creates a term or condition of employment that cannot be unilaterally modified (not an unreasonable claim, but past practice is a tricky doctrine in labor law), then they still have to obey the directive to work. They can then grieve it and get appropriate relief, such as an extra half hour's pay, or perhaps an order prohibiting the district from doing it again (and I've heard conflicting reports as to the result of last year's grievance). Usually, the only time you can disobey a directive to work in violation of rule is if it would result in a health and safety hazard.
Posted on: 2014/11/21 16:39
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Re: Jersey City teachers protest outside parent-teacher conferences
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The 19% figure was from a story in the Jersey Journal and is based on an anonymous leak from the district office. I have no idea how reliable it is.
Also, remember that there is a wide range of what teachers earn in this district based on degree and experience. The newest teacher with a B.A. can earn a little over $50,000. A 20+ year teacher with advanced degrees can earn around $120,000.00. So when one says "19% raise" it is not clear what that means. Also, for a teacher with just a B.A., you hardly get any raises over the first 9-10 years of the contract, something like two to three thousand dollars. It then jumps to the low 60s and progresses reasonably well from there, but it can be frustrating to work for 10 years and barely see a salary increase. In terms of who has impeded the negotiations, it is difficult to tell. Both sides say that the other has not bargained in good faith. The district claims that the union has cancelled meetings. The contract will eventually be worked out, hopefully sooner rather than later.
Posted on: 2014/11/21 16:34
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Re: Jersey City teachers protest outside parent-teacher conferences
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I misread your message. I took their grievance to be with an additional half hour tacked on to the end of every workday, a cause certainly worth protesting over. If a one off request for an extra half hour is is what it is truly about, the teachers are making fools of themselves. Do you know what they can do? Come in at the standard time and not work the extra time. Not protest, grandstand, and make a big scene in front of the kids. Since they didn't actually work the extra half hour, they have nothing to protest about. Like always, the teachers do not have the best interest of the kids in mind, only their own self interest and greed. That's what last night's spectacle was really about.
Posted on: 2014/11/21 16:27
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Re: Jersey City teachers protest outside parent-teacher conferences
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Home away from home
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Incorrect. Last year the district asked teachers to begin the parent conferences a half hour earlier, which lengthened work day. They did this, last year, as a courtesy. This year, upset with the stalled contract talks, they reverted to the standard time, which was agreed in their previous contract.
What if all the stores at the Newport Mall said 'Please come in a half hour early to get ready for Black Friday, but we won't pay you extra for it'. How would that go with the employees? Quote:
Posted on: 2014/11/21 16:20
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Re: Jersey City teachers protest outside parent-teacher conferences
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Home away from home
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Pebble - any protests should be around BOE meetings only.
Secondly - parent teacher nights involve pep talks from Principals about how schools are doing coupled with scores of kids running around and playing while their parents meet quickly with teachers. I would categorize that as fun for children.
Posted on: 2014/11/21 16:12
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Re: Jersey City teachers protest outside parent-teacher conferences
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Home away from home
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Not surprisingly, the teacher you talked to last night was ignorant. You were fed misinformation, or at least information that is not being reported.
Posted on: 2014/11/21 15:44
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Re: Jersey City teachers protest outside parent-teacher conferences
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Quote:
Just out of curiosity, since it is illegal for teachers to actually go on strike, where and how should they protest in order for people to understand what they are unhappy about? As for your other point, I'm not sure what sort of "fun event" a parent-teacher meeting is for you. The basis is supposed to be a rundown on what the child is good at and where the child needs improvement. This is more of a meeting than a chat over drinks.
Posted on: 2014/11/21 14:51
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Dos A Cero
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Re: Jersey City teachers protest outside parent-teacher conferences
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Home away from home
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Wrong place, wrong time for these "protests." If teachers want to negotiate and argue their case that is fine, but it is an issue for the BOE.
Many young children attend these parent teacher conferences. How do you think they feel when they see their teachers yelling at parents as they walk to the school for what is supposed to be a fun event? It is disappointing to see the JC teachers acting like Jerry Springer show contestants in front of the very children for whom they are supposed to be role models...
Posted on: 2014/11/21 14:44
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Re: Jersey City teachers protest outside parent-teacher conferences
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Home away from home
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Are the teachers that frustrated by the lack of a contract? Judging on their ridiculous bad faith negotiating tactics, I doubt it.
Last I heard they were demanding a 20% raise. If that's their best offer, let them be "frustrated" for years to come.
Posted on: 2014/11/21 4:53
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Re: Jersey City teachers protest outside parent-teacher conferences
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The protest is really related to overall frustration about the lack of a contract. The district is not forcing an additional half an hour to the workday. I know some board members have proposed expanding the school day so kids can have recess, but that has always been discussed as a change to the contract.
The specific issue that Greco decided to make a big deal of is the parent teacher conference. It has traditionally been from 6:30 to 8:00. Last year, Lyles said that it should start at 6. The union objected but did not pull the workers out, instead filing an improper practice charge with the Public Employment Relations Commission. There is nothing in the contract that says when conferences should start, so instead the union is relying on "past practice" establishing a condition that must be bargained over (which has some validity in labor law). I was told that PERC did, in fact, rule in favor of the union on this point, though I could not find any decision in the list of decisions on the website so I'm not sure that's true. In any event, with the contract still unresolved, this issue came up again, and the union decided that they would not acquiesce this year. Normally, the rule is that if the employer makes an improper demand to work, the worker must do the work, then file a grievance. Unless there is a serious health and safety threat, refusing to work will get the employee disciplined even if it later turns out that the assignment was improper. The union may have relied on the alleged PERC decision to get around this, or more likely they calculated that, coming off an election win and still without a contract, they could motivate membership enough to hold a picket line. So conceivably the district could send out 4000 reprimands, but that would just play into the union's hand.
Posted on: 2014/11/21 4:29
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Re: Jersey City teachers protest outside parent-teacher conferences
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Home away from home
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At first I thought they were objecting to moving up the time for the conferences, but found out talking tonight to a teacher that the district wanted to add another 1/2 hour to the workday.
A change like that has to be negotiated in a contract. The teachers, in this instance, didn't behave badly.
Posted on: 2014/11/21 1:58
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Re: Jersey City teachers protest outside parent-teacher conferences
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Posted on: 2014/11/21 1:53
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My humor is for the silent blue collar majority - If my posts offend, slander or you deem inappropriate and seek deletion, contact the webmaster for jurisdiction.
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Jersey City teachers protest outside parent-teacher conferences
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Home away from home
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Jersey City teachers protest outside parent-teacher conferences
By Terrence T. McDonald | The Jersey Journal November 20, 2014 at 11:50 AM Jersey City teachers have staged protests outside parent-teacher conferences for the last two nights to urge the school district to settle a new contract with the teachers union. Groups of teachers and supporters gathered outside the high schools on Tuesday night and the elementary schools last night, picketing during the half-hour before the conferences began. The union, the Jersey City Education Association, and top school officials have been bickering over the start time for the conferences, also known as report card night. The district moved the traditional start time from 6:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. last year, and the union bristled, saying any changes in work schedules must be negotiated. Read more: http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/20 ... erences.html#incart_river
Posted on: 2014/11/20 18:52
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