We’re part of SEIU Local 99!
Today, we voted to unite to make improvements at CCLC.
Now let’s get some R-E-S-P-E-C-T!
…for the insight, knowledge and experience we bring as frontline teachers and workers. Who better that us can make sure that the much-needed improvements are real and lasting?
We will MEET SOON to discuss our next steps!
Watch your email box for details.
A strong majority of us voted to form this union. But regardless of how we voted, this is a great opportunity for us ALL to move forward together and make sure we are ALL bringing our best ideas for creating the safest, most nurturing and quality center possible. Please know that ALL UPC staff in this new bargaining unit will be invited to this “next steps” meeting.
This is a handy guide to hang on to!
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- Nominate and hold elections for our Bargaining Team.
Now that we are union, we get to be equals with management at the bargaining table. We will nominate and elect our Bargaining Team, the group of us that sits down with UPC administration to negotiate our first contract! Ideally, our Bargaining Team will be made up of representatives from all classrooms and job descriptions and will utilize the Bargaining Survey (see below) to help determine the top priorities. - Determine our priorities with a Bargaining Survey.
The survey process is a time for us to dream together about what would improve our jobs and the services that we provide. And it’s a chance for each of us to add our individual voice and let our Bargaining Team know our priorities. This gives them direction when they sit down to negotiate with management. - Form a Contract Action Team
The Contract Action Team (CAT) is an important part of a successful contract campaign. CAT members communicate regularly with their co-workers about the progress of negotiations. They also let us know if management is dragging its feet at the bargaining table and we need to take action. CAT members might organize a Union T-Shirt day or ask us to “sticker up!” This is how we show our employer that we are united and it lets UPC parents and others in the USC community know that we are also fighting for changes that will improve the services we provide. The fact is that great contracts are rarely won simply at the negotiations table. If we all participate and stick together, it helps our Bargaining Team be strong when they meet with management because they know we are right their behind them in the fight. - Prepare Our Proposals
After the Bargaining Survey, the Bargaining Team begins putting together our proposals for our new contract, listing out all the things we would like to change. Once we have well-researched, compelling proposals, we sit down with the employer and begin bargaining. - Bargaining Updates
Our Bargaining Team will compose regular updates to let the rest of us know how negotiations are going. Our first few updates often come before negotiations have even begun. These usually announce things like Bargaining Team election results or “Survey Says…” summaries. Then once negotiations begin, these updates will summarize what is happening at the bargaining table. Sometimes at the beginning, it’s not great news. Our employer will almost always show some resistance. We must remember that negotiations can take time. Bargaining Updates also let us know when it’s time to take action to push negotiations forward. - Negotiations
Once bargaining officially begins, our Bargaining Team sits down with our employer’s negotiators to come to agreement on our various proposals. This can mean making adjustments to our original proposals in order to come to agreement. Our employer will often do the same. Making these adjustments often requires our Bargaining Team to consult with lawyers, researchers and other union members to form counter-proposals. We often meet with our employer’s negotiators multiple times over several months, tackling each of our proposals one at a time. Throughout the bargaining process, both sides will typically reach an agreement on specific issues or “articles” in the contract. We call these “tentative agreements.” They are “tentative” because the entire new contract must be voted on and approved by the members covered by the contract and the employer before it takes effect. - Action and Escalation
Sometimes our Bargaining Team will report back to the rest of us that management is holding up progress at the bargaining table. Maybe the employer is making excuses and delaying negotiations. Or perhaps they are acting like they are unwilling to meet any of our proposals. At times like this, our Bargaining Team needs to show that they have the strength of our numbers backing them up—and our unity. They need us to take some sort of united action to send a message to our employer that we mean business. This usually starts out slowly. Maybe we schedule a day where we all wear stickers to work that say “I support my Bargaining Team!” The key to a successful contract action campaign is to build up the intensity of our actions in partnership with the Bargaining Team. When things are progressing at the bargaining table, the Bargaining Team will usually hit the “pause button” on taking public action. When management refuses to move on our issues, the Bargaining Team might suggest ramping up our actions. For example, after an action where we wear stickers to work, the next action we take together might be a little stronger, such as handing out leaflets to parents in front of our schools as they drop off their children. Or we may hold a rally or even contact the press. It’s something we decide together. - Tentative Agreement Reached
Once both sides of the negotiating table—our Bargaining Team and our employer’s negotiators—reach agreement on our contract, they announce that they have reached a full Tentative Agreement. At this point, both sides need to approve—or “ratify”—this new contract. Our dues are also negotiated in this first contract. So we don’t pay dues until we see what we get for it and vote yes or no on the contract. - Contract Ratification
The agreement does not go into effect until both sides ratify it. We do that by voting yes or no on the entire Tentative Agreement. All union members are eligible to vote on the Tentative Agreement. If a majority of voting members approves it, it is ratified by our Union. Our employer also has to ratify the Tentative Agreement.
