Now that the Colorado Department of Labor has been notified of the Pueblo Education Association and Pueblo ParaProfessional Association’s intent to strike, members of the unions are expected to take a vote before the week is out on whether to walk out.þþThe anticipated action follows the board of education’s rejection, by a 3-2 vote, of a fact-finder’s recommendations that members of both unions should receive cost-of-living adjustments and other benefits.þþVoting against those recommendations were Board President Barb Clementi, Vice President Frank Latino and board member Bobby Gonzales — all former D60 educators and/or administrators. The trio cited their duty to be fiscally responsible stewards, along with a lack of available funds, in rejecting the recommendations.þþBoard members Taylor Voss and Dennis Maes voted to accept the fact-finder’s report.þþEven if the unions vote in favor of a strike, the Department of Labor has the option to take jurisdiction and attempt, over a three-week period, to mediate in hopes of averting a school shutdown.þþUnion officials, however, are not confident a solution can be reached.þþ“We had a follow-up meeting on Friday morning that had already been scheduled and nothing came of it whatsoever,” said Suzanne Ethredge, PEA president. “There was no offer to meet again to try to settle.”þþEthredge said the intention is for teachers and paraprofessionals to jointly strike before the school year is out. She didn’t rule out a long-term walkout.þþAnd while the vote to strike would ultimately, be the deciding factor, Ethredge said emotions are running high.þþ“Quite a few of my members are very, very angry, and feel very disappointed,” she said. “And I feel the support for a strike is there.þþ“We find it very ironic, to say the least, that it was the three former educators who voted against the recommendations.”þþIn a statement released Monday afternoon, D60 had this to say:þþ“The board of education and the administration of Pueblo City Schools are disappointed to learn that PEA has filed intent to strike with the Colorado Department of Labor. A strike is not in the best interests of our staff, community or most importantly, our students. We believe it would be much more constructive and certainly less disruptive if the district and the teachers could work together to find a solution at the state level.þþ“Just today, teachers from around the state rallied at the statehouse to ask for increased school funding. Since 2009, the Colorado legislature hasn’t adhered to a constitutional mandate to increase school revenue each year by at least the rate of inflation. That means our district has been underfunded by a total of approximately $140 million. With additional revenue from the state, Pueblo City Schools could fairly and competitively compensate our teachers as well as provide additional resources to enrich classroom learning.þþ“What happens if there is a strike? Again, we believe it is in the best interest of all stakeholders to avoid a strike. However, the district will be fully prepared to minimize the impact of a strike on families and their students. We will develop a comprehensive strategy, whether that involves a shortened school day or brief school closures, in the event of a strike. We will keep parents informed of our decisions in a timely manner through the news media and social media.”
Source: The Pueblo Chieftain
