Union Elections
We’d like to announce the election of our Unite Summit leadership!
Officers
President: Fuchsia Spring (K2 HS)
Vice President: Sarah Rivas (Denali HS)
Treasurer: Morris Shieh (Tahoma)
Site Reps
Denali Middle School: Tristan Matlock
Denali High School: Sarah Rivas
Everest: Kennan Damon
Expeditions North Loop: Phoenix Lawson
Expedition South Loop: Joseph Hughes
K2 High School: Miguel Gravelle
K2 Middle School: Alyssa Montantes
Prep: Dan McClure
Shasta: Emily Ryan
Tahoma: April Carrera-McGuire
Tam High School: Iris Lopez
Tam Middle School: Ernesto Umana
Thank you to everyone who ran for office and everyone who voted. We are so excited to have a full slate of representatives to start the 2020-21 school year off strong! Please reach out to your site rep if you’d like to help us close out the year and get ready for next year.
Bargaining Update
Unite Summit and the SPS bargaining team held their sixth contract negotiation meeting today.
We reached a tentative agreement (meaning our bargaining teams have come to an agreement but nothing we’ve agreed to will be implemented until we’ve finished negotiations and our members and the SPS Board have voted on the entire contract) on the following proposals:
Unite Summit presented original proposals on:
- Class Size and Caseload – this proposal aims to increase sustainability by setting limits on class size for our teachers and caseload size for our Education Specialists
- Assessment and Curriculum – this proposal aims to increase student accountability to deadlines and to provide more teacher voice in revision plans and give teachers a way to get paid for summer school work without adding extra weeks to the school year
- Hours of Employment, Work Year and Job Duties – this proposal aims to decrease mandatory work hours and protect time such as prep periods and duty-free lunch
SPS also presented counter proposals on:
- Recognition – our remaining point of disagreement centers on the right of the union to represent teachers at expansion schools (should one open)
- Leadership / Management Rights – disagreement persists on the definition of “emergency” and what limits remain on management’s ability to make emergency changes to our agreement
The following Unite Summit Bargaining Team members attended today’s meeting: Liz DeOrnellas, Expeditions; Fuchsia Spring, K2; Amber Steele, Denali Middle; Hillary Odom, Shasta; Dan McClure, Prep; Evan Anderson, Everest; Douglas Wills, Tahoma; and Isela Mosqueira, Rainier. Daryl Hemenway from CTA also joined the discussion. Denali representative Sarah Rivas was absent due to end-of-year duties.
The following Summit Bargaining Team members attended: Diane Tavenner, CEO; Kelly Garcia, Chief of Staff; and Jimmy Zuniga, Everest Executive Director.
Our next bargaining team session is scheduled for May 29. Unite Summit aims to present our last original proposal: Leaves of Absence.
If you have questions, please reach out to your site rep or contact us at unitesummitteachers@gmail.com.