Cairo Association of Teachers - Newsletter

CAT Tracks for May 5, 2009 NEGOTIATIONS UPDATE

As previously reported in CAT Tracks...

The CAT negotiating team met yesterday afternoon - ALONE - in lieu of a 32nd session with the Cairo Board of Education. The purpose of the meeting was to review financial information provided to the Association by the District's Financial Administrators...financial information - shall we say "gloom and doom" - that predicts with certainty the demise of Cairo School District Number One by the year 2012.

BREAKING NEWS FROM CNN, THE CAT NEWS NETWORK...

AFTER TWO HOURS OF INTENSIVE STUDY, CAT TEAM DISCOVERS...SAME OLD, SAME OLD.

But, Ron...they said that the District is going broke!

So, what's new? THAT song was #1 on the CSD hit parade for most of the 39 years that I was employed there...for EVERY year that there were negotiations!

But, Ron...they said that the District is losing students...every year!

So, THAT song was in the #2 slot all those years. By the way, THAT song actually rose to #1 in the years immediately following the strikes that were forced by the BOE's refusal to negotiate reasonable contracts with its employees.

Hell, students left in droves following the 24-day strike of 1994-1995. You remember that one...the day that CAT voted to go on strike (in mid-November), the BOE put the word out that they would shut the schools until after Christmas. CAT laughed...ludacris. Well, as we were to find out...never say never in Cairo School District Number One! Schools reopened in January...following a New Year's Day negotiating session...a session that began with the BOE's attorney uninviting a United States Representative who had volunteered to serve as a mediator.)

Another "flight of students" took place following the BOE's 17-day shut down of the schools in 2002. This was the strike in which the President of the Cairo Board of Education had flyers labeling teachers "pimps" printed and circulated. That was also the strike that finally caused the State of Illinois to intervene...taking over financial oversight of the District the following year...directly pinning the blame on the Board of Education for the loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars of state and federal funding. (Another BOE attorney "earned his money" - the only person to make money during that fiasco - by asserting that "closing the schools will hurt the teachers more than the BOE".)

Actually, gotta say that the BOE attorney's statement was "on point". One of the biggest problems facing Cairo School District Number One is that the whimsical actions of the Board of Education do NOT COST INDIVIDUAL BOE MEMBERS ONE CENT! THAT is why they are quite willing to fight losing battles with their employees. The Cairo Board of Education will put employees who have had nothing but excellent evaluations through pure hell. When the battle is over, the Cairo Board of Education will pay the employee (or former employee) thousands of dollars as part of a court-ordered settlement...along with paying their "happy to serve" (at an exorbitant rate) attorney. The BOE members never pay one cent of THEIR personal money. No...the money spent comes out of the money that was supposed to educate the children of Cairo School District Number One.

As previously reported...Cairo School District Number One - WHILE STATING THAT IT IS BROKE...WHILE CRYING DECLINING STUDENT ENROLLMENT - has just signed up its "Chicago Lawyers" to fight a federal lawsuit against James Gibson...a lawsuit that has the potential to cost the District over $1 million. They are currently "dickering" over the schedule for the various proceedings...proceedings that will consume the Districts resources over (at least) the next year!!!

By the way...the "Chicago Lawyers" are the same ones that fought a variation of this same case a couple of years ago...and lost!!!

In fact, it seems that the main thrust of THEIR future case is to re-argue their past case..."another bite at the apple" as they say on Law & Order! They ignore the fact that the last decision was by an arbitrator...a decision that they "signed off on" as part of the arbitration process/agreement.

Again, never say never when referring to the Cairo Board of Education. Again...it doesn't cost THEM anything!!!

But, Ron...

Okay, yes...I once again digressed!

It's just that it gets sooooooooooooooo frustrating...trying to talk reason and logic with folks that obviously don't give a damn about the well-being of Cairo School District Number One. Don't forget, these are the same folks that tried to give away the high school earlier this year. Why? To save money?

For what?

To fight the few remaining employees...to house and feed the Superintendent...to send him on trips...to pay his golf fees?

Or...to give Chartwells a 5% raise...maybe in gratitude for catering the food at their regular and special BOE meetings?

By the way...we've done that too!

CAT President De De O'Shea literally catered the first negotiations sessions...until the BOE team rudely put us out into the hallway while they caucused...while they ate the goodies. Guess they forgot it was a negotiating session...thought it was a regular or special BOE meeting, compliments Chartwell.

Damn...in retrospect...maybe that's where we went wrong. If we had simply bowed and scraped and kept catering despite their rudeness...maybe we would have gotten a 5% raise too. Oh well...as they say...hindsight is 20/20. At the time, the only thing in our "sight" was their hind-like behavior!

But, Ron...

Okay, yes...I once again digressed...AGAIN!

So, members of the BOE and FOP...you worry about declining enrollment?

Do something about it...quit being part of the problem...THE MAIN PART OF THE PROBLEM.

Start looking for a solution...part of which might well be sitting down with your FOUR EMPLOYEE UNIONS - who have been working without a contract since July 1, 2008 - and NEGOTIATING! Stop with the "poor mouthing" already...you've been down THAT road too many times. With over $3 million in the bank, THAT tune is falling on deaf ears!

Yes, the BOE would have you look at ONE STATISTIC and buy into its "projections of doom and gloom"...ignoring all other variables.

What "variables", you might ask...

Oh, little items...like state and federal aid. You can throw in grants if you wish.

Folks, these are "big ticket" items...we're not talkin' "chump change"...we're talkin' millions of dollars! In fact, the reason that Cairo School District Number One has continued to prosper...adding monthly to its "treasure chest"...is that the great state of Illinois and the federal government have seen fit to increase their "donation" to the cause over the past years...of declining enrollments.

When the actions of the Cairo Board of Education have chased away students year after year, the state and federal government have increased their revenue contributions to CSD #1. (The good news is that other districts in Illinois and the US of A also have monetary problems. Cairo simply rides the "money train". This is especially good news since the administration of CSD #1 over the years has done nothing of its own to increase revenue...only throw it away.

TODAY, Cairo school officials would have you ignore that history. Cairo school officials want you to focus on declining student enrollment but ignore increases in various revenue sources that have "fixed" that problem in the past. Yes, Cairo school officials are all about smoke and mirrors...now you see it, now you don't.

Again, Cairo school officials...we've been there, done that...heard that song...that "cry of wolf" waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too many times.

What does the future hold?

Well, the CAT team has come up with a new strategy.

God in heaven!

I am NOT being blasphemous...I sincerely mean it. Lord give me strength...give us strength NOT to lose our religion! Having to come up with "strategy" to convince folks sitting on over $3 million that they can afford a few dollars more for their employees tests the patience of Job!

What is that strategy?

Well, I can't/won't tell you...don't want to "alert" the BOE team...allow them extra time to come up with yet another excuse. CAT would rather "spring it on them".

After CAT presents its new, improved rationale for a pay raise to the BOE, we will relate it - and any reaction from the BOE) - to you.

Next up...

At yesterday's meeting, the CAT team identified four possible negotiations dates that would "work for us". We are in the process of contacting the BOE team and seeing which of these dates would work for them.

As soon as Negotiations Meeting #32 is set, we will notify you...