NHTA Ratifies Tentative Agreement with 60% Vote Ending Historic 14-Day Strike
This is the beginning, not the end – New Haven Teachers Will Continue to Make Students/Teachers/Classroom Needs a Budget Priority
UNION CITY – With a 60% yes vote (302 yes, 200 no), members of the New Haven Teachers Association ratified the tentative agreement with the New Haven Unified School District, officially ending the historic 14-day strike. Members met today at the Portuguese Hall in Union City, and voting closed at 7 p.m.
The vote should put the school board and new superintendent on notice that this is just the beginning and not the end, NHTA President Joe Ku’e Angeles said. “Our unity with each other on the picket lines was an incredible display of power that resulted in some real gains for our union. The strike brought us together and made us stronger as a union to fight for our students, connected us with parents in a way we have never seen before in Union City, and expanded the spotlight of the underfunding of public education across California. We have made history together.”
Angeles noted the agreement wasn’t everything teachers wanted, but it did force NHUSD managers to prioritize attracting and retaining teachers in the budget, and built strong parent coalitions to work on lowering class size and increasing student supports. Members say their yes votes were in support of their union and the no votes were aimed at the district management’s bad behavior.
While NHTA members are encouraged to rest up over the summer, Angeles outlined the union’s agenda to continue the fight for students:
- Participating with parents in collecting signatures on the school board recall petition.
- Meeting regularly, weekly even, with the new superintendent to ensure students and teachers are a priority in the budget.
- Continuing conversations with school board members and monitoring board actions.
- Actively engaging in NHUSD budget review and development.
- Lowering class size and increasing student services and supports (mental health services, librarians, counselors) are major priorities in the next full bargaining session (the negotiations process starts again in the fall).
- Helping drive professional development. In the past, NHUSD has received millions in grants for professional development and instead of utilizing the expertise from within the New Haven teaching ranks, the district spent it on consultants and trainings.
Going back to the classroom Monday, moving forward and mending relationships will be tough, Angeles CONTINUE READING: NHTA Ratifies Tentative Agreement with 60% Vote Ending Historic 14-Day Strike | New Haven Teachers Association
