CSEA Capistrano Chapter 224

We have developed a survey and have begun surveying the members about their preferences for 2010-2011. The survey will end on Friday, February 19. If you haven’t already received a link, look for one soon. We are encouraging all of our members to take the survey on-line because it saves hours and hours of work tabulating results. For members who do not have the ability to complete the survey on-line we are having two Survey Parties where members can come and complete paper surveys. We can also send out paper surveys to members upon request.

To take the survey go to: http://www.csea.com/UltimateSurvey/takeSurvey.asp?surveyID=92Another option for taking the survey is to attend one of two Survey Parties. What’s a Survey Party? We will provide surveys and snacks and you just show up and complete your survey. The Survey Party will be February 4 at 3:30 at Maintenance and Operations. A second Survey Party will be held at the District Office on Tuesday, February 9 from 3:00 until 4:30. All members are welcome at either party. It’s important to tell your bargaining team what you want! This is also a great opportunity to ask questions to bargaining team members.  

At CUSD's School Board Meeting held Tuesday, January 12, Trustees Lopez-Maddox and Winsten were served with recall papers. These documents will set in motion a process which will place the recall election for both trustees on the November 2, 2010 ballot. Three of the seven Trustee seats are up for election in November 2010 and this recall will result in a total of five positions being on the ballot.

Recently, CSEA joined CUEA in asking for our School Board Trustees to Restore Pride to CUSD. The group Parents for Local Control is spearheading the effort to recall the Trustees. Their reasons for this action include many of the same isses we have with our current Board Trustees including irresponsible financial management of CUSD, and unethical behavior.

Quotes in the Register this week prove how arrogant and out of touch Mr. Lopez-Maddox and Mr. Winsten are with their consituents. Lopez-Maddox blew off the recall effort as an action by the teachers union to get a raise. If he had read the paperwork he received he would have seen that the notice does not say CUEA on it.

CSEA supports the efforts of this group to recall these trustees and instead elect people who will act responsibly when making financial decisions, stop violating open meeting laws, paying off their campaign supporters and contributors and most of all respect public education and the employees who work hard to support learning in CUSD every day.

22,000 signatures need to be collected for each board member being recalled. Anyone who wants to help with the recall effort can e-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

• Give them your name, address, 'most available' phone number.
• Let them know if you are willing to work a table outside a pre-arranged shopping area on a Saturday or Sunday.
• Let them know if you are willing to walk your neighborhood to get signatures from people you know. 

BARGAINING UPDATE: The Negotiating Team met with CUSD on Monday. Responses to District’s proposals regarding language items in the Collective Bargaining Agreement were discussed. The parties are scheduled to meet again on December 7, 2009 and will continue discussing CSEA’s responses to District proposals.

It is with heavy hearts that we must report the passing of one of Chapter 224's fixtures, Phil Bordeaux.  He passed away at home this past Saturday.

Phil was the library technician at Aliso Viejo Middle School.  A veteran of the Navy, president of the Lantern Villages Association of Dana Point and Chapter 224 Pre-Retirement Resource, Phil dedicated his life to giving back to his nation and his community.  Phil was a consummate story teller, his soft Georgia drawl drawing you in as he told tales of living in Saudi Arabia, his time in the Navy, and the pride he felt in his family.  He was a dear friend to so many in the CUSD community, and he will be missed.

Phil is survived by his wife, Mary, and his two sons, Serge and Tony.

A memorial service for Phil Bordeaux will be held next Wednesday, November 18th at Sea Terrace Park in Dana Point at 2:00 pm. The address is 33501 Niguel Rd., Dana Point. The park is located near the Dana Point Public Library.
 

Classified employees of CUSD are joining in the call to Restore Pride to CUSD. Classified workers who take great pride in their role supporting public education in CUSD can no longer take pride in a district that has become the subject of criticism and ridicule in the community and among their peers in other school districts. We are joining with other district employees who are working to Restore Pride in CUSD. Classified employees have three points to make to the Board of Trustees:

• STOP MAKING IRRESPONSIBLE FISCAL DECISIONS
  • Hundreds of thousands of dollars are being wasted on legal firms related to the firing of Superintendent Woodrow Carter
  • Interims, consultants and temporary principals.
  • The creation of an Executive Director for Facilities at the cost of $175,000 per year, despite being told that there was no necessity for this position at this time.
  • Rejection of a waiver for the June election which would have saved $500,000. Instead they hired a legal firm to stop the election, wasting more money.

 

• STOP YOUR UNETHICAL BEHAVIOR
  • Settling lawsuits with campaign contributors
  • Attacking public education
  • Repeated violations of the Brown Act
  • Attempts to shut down local control of school board elections after promising to promote voting by trustee area when they ran for office

 

• STOP YOUR DISREGARD FOR THE PEOPLE CLOSEST TO THE STUDENTS WE SERVE
  • The school board has no respect for the employees, voting for classified layoffs for the past three years and advocating a 10% reduction in salaries
  • In a mean spirited move, they forced a 10% pay cut on management with no warning
  • The School Board does not care that more than half of classified employees are less than 12 months per year, 40 hour per week employees
  • The School Board does not care (and probably doesn’t know) that half of classified employees are not even eligible for the health care benefits they themselves are enjoying at district expense

Wear a Restore Pride in CUSD wristband to show your support of our students, co-workers, and a CUSD that we can all be proud of. Wear CSEA blue to the School Board Meeting on December 15.

The October 2009 Newsletter is available online here before it gets distributed to schools.  Click here to download it to your computer.