Memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Union and Acero management calls for school-wide shutdown if there are three or more confirmed positive cases across three or more classrooms within a 14-day period.
CTU has settled a grievance over class size violations at ASPRIA resulting in $61,000 in awards for members. We are in preliminary discussions with CICS and Epic over reopening in the fall. And we are negotiating a fourth quarter reopening plan with Acero focusing on the importance of equity as well as safety.
Acero and Passages charter schools are delaying reopening for in-person instruction until a series of scientific COVID metrics are met. Namaste has agreed to bargain over reopening and CTU reached an agreement with Epic Academy to reduce the extra hours members had been required to work, without pay, for parent teacher conferences.
CTU members at Namaste are cautiously optimistic that their organizing against in-person instruction has paid off. Educators at Epic Academy kicked off negotiations this week on their first collective bargaining agreement. Acero parents and teachers continue to fight staff layoffs. And everyone is wondering where Urban Prep’s $1.2 million in federal stimulus loans went because it hasn’t shown up in classrooms.
Namaste is the latest charter school to experience a COVID-19 outbreak. After months of negotiations, and a request for a mediator, we are seeing progress in CICS-Civitas talks. Instituto Health and Science Career Academy is hiring a psychologist to comply with the CTU contract. Three laid off special education apprentices have been recalled at Acero, after members organized against the layoffs.
CTU leaders from Acero are fighting layoffs. The CTU New Organizing Committee and the Union’s Charter Division are both taking big steps. Meanwhile, Epic Academy and Namaste Charter School have each made important new agreements with the Union.
In this extraordinary time, the Acero network has made a choice to dramatically cut Special Education jobs. Sign the petition to demand Acero reverse their cruel cuts.
