So the Orange County teachers here in Orlando, Florida rejected the contract offer that the district made, and I am so proud of them for it. It’s rare that a contract proposal is rejected, and that has always been a frustration for me.
Back in the 90s and 2000s. Broward County had quite a few “bad” contracts sneak by. I recall that for four consecutive years I made less money due to a low pay increase and a rise in insurance rates. It’s hard to see your paycheck dwindle.
Well, it finally happened. The Orange County teachers faced a similar situation, so they united and said, “No!”. In interviews, it was evident that even teachers who were not negatively impacted by the contract made a decision to decline. Everyone seemed to recognize that a bad deal is a bad deal.
So the teachers begin the 2019-2020 school year without a contract. This should call for “working to the rule”, which is when teachers refuse to do additional duties outside of their contract. It’s a strategy to force the district to come up with a more favorable contract as quickly as possible. This is an action that I support fully, however, typically teachers have a hard time implementing this plan as they feel guilty because their additional daily activities are “for the children”.
I’ll be watching the news closely in the hope that the educators stand their ground. Stay strong teachers…
Stay groovy…
–Susie
(Copyright 2019 Susie Krivacic)
Harmonious Groove 