President's Corner

By Maripaz Berlin

As the Winter Season starts to overtake us, so does our Bargaining season. We will be starting with our Reopener, and then our Successor Contract, where we will negotiate for another 3-year contract. Our last contract was for 2019-2022. Typically, our Reopener and our Successor Contract do not occur so close together. Take it as another delay due to OGEA bargaining in the Spring of 2021 for our Hybrid return to campuses. 

A Little History

On September 22, 1975, California's then Governor, Jerry Brown, signed into law Senate Bill 160, the Educational Employment Relations Act (EERA). It has also been called The Rodda Act for Senator Albert Rodda. The Act provided exclusive recognition of a single employee organization to act as the representative of employees in the bargaining unit. The scope of representation includes wages, hours of employment, health and welfare benefits, leaves, transfers, reassignments, safety conditions, class size, evaluation procedures, organizational security, grievance procedures, certain aspects of layoffs, procedures for discipline, and more. 

Being able to collectively bargain is relatively new (46 years young); however, it has allowed educator unions to negotiate working conditions, making improvements along the way.

Collective Bargaining, Collective Effort

In the coming months, as we begin negotiations, OGEA Leadership will invite the membership to take part in collective actions,such as:

• Wearing your OGEA t-shirt on our Solidarity Days 
• Participating in surveys to gather information and organize our priorities
• Meeting and collaborating with OGEA to share your interests
• Initiating dialogue with fellow OGEA members regarding bargaining items
• Wearing OGEA buttons 

Actions like these are highly effective as a show of solidarity. When the majority of our membership participates, the actions become our flex.  We move and act together in unity. Encourage others to join in the actions. Count how many members participate, aim to improve that number for the next action, and watch these activities demonstrate to management and each other that we are one and united! 

Gift of Warmth Project

We are in the middle of our project to collect coats for our students who may be in need of warm outerwear. Please consider donating gently used or new coats. There should be a bin set up at each school site and at the OGEA office. See your OGEA bulletin board for a flyer with all the details!