OGEA's Appleseed Connection

President's Corner

June 2022

President Editorial

By Maripaz Berlin, OGEA President

president@ogea.org

 

With two days left in the 2021-2022 school year, it feels appropriate to look back on the year; but really, some weeks blur together. The first few weeks of the school year were spent trying to understand the County’s new protocols for COVID, enforcing the renewed Safety MOU, finding substitute teachers, and being angry that the math curriculum was delayed. Though we were back in person, it was anything but "business as usual". In fact, it was more like, "Let me dodge COVID while trying to teach and work in-person with students and colleagues."

 

Still, we crawled, scraped and fought our way through to the end of the year. WE ARE VICTORIOUS! We accomplished negotiating a  Reopener Contract with a 5.5% increase, and increase in our benefits contributions, to say the least. Most recently, we successfully bargained a Successor Contract for the next three years, and all in the last four months of the school year! A banner year in terms of negotiations!

 

We also helped co-author and pass the LGBTQ+ Resolution for our District. We stood up and spoke up at the Board meeting to support our LGBTQ+ staff and students. Earlier in the winter season, we successfully executed a coat drive for our Oak Grove families. 

We amped up our organizing through more communication via social media, our Appleseed Newsletter, and the Weekly newsletter. We also had texting campaigns, thanks to our Organizing Committee.

 

Stand up, take a bow, and walk with pride knowing that you belong to the best Union. We are public school educators! We support educational access to all students! We are TEACHERS, COUNSELORS, PSYCHOLOGISTS, SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGISTS, and  NURSES!

 

Over the last few days of school, we will be going over our Tentative Agreements. Be sure to participate in the following meetings and Ratification Vote: 

  • Special Rep Council: Thursday, June 9th at 6:00 P.M. 
  • General Membership Meeting: Friday, June 10th at 6:00 P.M.
  • Ratification Vote (electronic): Friday, June 10th - Sunday June 12th (evening to evening)

OGEA Finishes STRONG!

IN UNITY!