Colleagues,
This brief interruption of your summer recess is to update you about our ongoing efforts to secure a fair successor contract for teachers and substitute teachers in our District.
After a lengthy period of unproductive bargaining, we declared an impasse in negotiations today and requested the involvement of the New York State Public Employment Board (PERB). The teachers’ contract expired on June 30, 2022. Substitute teachers in the Rochester City School District have been without a contract for more than two years.
The breakdown in negotiations comes at a time of spiking inflation and an unprecedented nationwide teacher shortage. Just last week, the Rochester City School District reported that they still have more than 385 unfilled teacher vacancies for the coming school year. Nearly 190 RCSD teachers resigned during the 2021-2022 school year – and that does not include the teachers who have decided to retire.
In our negotiations, we have proposed changes that would alleviate the current situation and make our District a better place for teachers and students. We are seeking lower class sizes; more social workers, psychologists and counselors to address the social and emotional needs of students; salary increases to make the RCSD more competitive in attracting and retaining teachers; and other adjustments warranted by the District’s current predicament. The RCSD, however, remains unresponsive to our proposals despite the fact that they have more extra funding now than ever before. That is why we are asking the NYS Public Employment Board to appoint an impartial mediator to resolve the impasse before the end of this month. Otherwise, the District runs a real risk of not having enough teachers and substitute teachers when students return to in-person learning in September.
We will continue to keep you informed about our efforts on your behalf and on behalf of all our students and we remain confident that we will indeed achieve a successor contract that will improve the conditions for teaching and learning in our schools.
Thank you for your unswerving support and your continued solidarity. Enjoy the remaining weeks of your well-deserved summer break.
Adam Urbanski, RTA President