LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Clark County Education executives met Saturday to discuss the next steps in calling a district wide teacher strike.þþThe meeting happened despite, and because of, the Clark County School District's announcing an offer to public employee unions Monday.þþThe contract, soon to be considered by the CCSD Board of Trustees, would give employees a 3% raise in the 2019-2020 school year, step increases during the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 school years, and increase their contributions to the employee medical system by 4% during the same period.þþCCEA Executive Director John Vellardita said the contract offer was unacceptable.þþÿWe've gone for a decade with this school district fighting for crumbs,ÿ Vellardita said.þþHe said the district hasn't addressed three of the union's demands.þþÿIt starts with the following,ÿ Vellardita said, ÿtwo years of a step freeze.ÿþþStep increases involve paying employees more for the experience they've accrued working in the school district.þþVellardita said the district has offered to pay for step increases for the next two years, but the union wanted them to go back and adjust for the experience accrued during the last two years.þþÿThat's a sticking point,ÿ Vellardita said.þþThe second sticking point was pay for ÿcolumn movementÿ progression, where more well trained teachers are payed more for working the same positions, which Vellardita said roughly 2500 teachers have done the training without receiving a pay increase.þþÿThat's what this superintendent and this school district is walking away from, and not saying they're going to pay,ÿ he said.þþThe final demand, Vellardita said, was for district officials to address an increase to employee's contribution to their retirement plan which effectively reduced their salaries by .625%.þþÿUnless there is a change in their position,ÿ he said, ÿthere will be a strike.ÿþþIn a statement, CCSD officials said the offered contract would represent the largest increase to public employee pay and benefits in a decade. and they hoped every union accepts it if the Board of Trustees passes the offer at their August 22nd meeting.þþVellartdita said CCEA wouldn't accept it, leaving parents like Tammy Aguilar stuck in the middle.þþAguilar said she supports the teachers, but said she would have to keep her kids home if they called a strike.þþShe didn't know how she would handle a long term strike if neither side backs down.þþÿThey should get what they deserve,ÿ Aguilar said, ÿhopefully it doesn't affect our children for too long because how long can you allow them to let them be out there striking?ÿ Aguilar said, ÿI guess it's against Nevada law, but they have to live too.ÿþþKTNV reached out to CCSD for their response to CCEA's escalated strike threat, but didn't receive a response.þþVellardita said he would make an announcement about the executive meeting Monday.
Source: ktnv.com
