The School Board met in this executive session at 2:30 yesterday afternoon, at which time a proposal which would result in nearly a 3% increase for employees was formulated.At 4:30 PM, the School Board’s negotiating team met with union officials, and by 6:00 I received word via a phone call that the union had agreed to the district’s proposal.
I see in this morning’s PNJ online that the union already got word to the press about this proposed settlement of the salary issue for 2010-2011 and 2011-2012. EEA president Kathy Breakall was quoted in the story saying the following:
"While the salary proposal can't compensate our employees for continuing to go extra miles for the students in Escambia County, it is an attempt of both the union and the district to recognize that even in these gloomy budget years, we know their work is at the heart of any successes [in] the (school district),"
I would have hoped for a more magnanimous quote—perhaps reflecting gratitude that the employees will receive some increase in compensation from the taxpayers despite the dreadful economic landscape that currently exists in Florida—but instead we are told that the only reason for ANY progress in our schools is because of the EEA and its members. Not Parents, not the students, not the volunteers from the community---Nope, it’s just the union members that make a difference.
Off-putting quotes like this one from today’s PNJ are why so many taxpayers have disdain for public sector white collar unions. It takes a concerted effort between parents, schools, teachers and students to achieve high performance--but this quote pours cold water on that perspective.
To follow up on this quote this morning, in my email inbox I (and every other district employee) received this “announcement” from the union about the salary settlement. (Which also doubles as a membership solicitation, by the way)
I’m not sure how I feel about the union using district resources and time for their recruiting effort—I mean, I know they want to reach 50% membership,(which they currently do not have) but they ought to recruit outside of utilizing district email; many employees will be opening and reading this union “bulletin” during working hours today.
Unions always want more more more more and more so the tone of the quote is not surprising
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ReplyDeletethe quote does not give that impression at all, what i get out of it is that the teachers are at the heart of any school's success, which is true, I'm sorry that you feel they should have laid praise and thanks upon you but actually Jeff,you are part of the problem. Your "salary" and that of other school board members could go along way in increasing the pay of our teachers, but you are too greedy for that.
ReplyDeleteby the way, when you start to censor comments that people make here, it lowers your respect level, it also discourages the public from engaging you here, as you will censor their comments in an effort to make yourself look better.
for all that cant see it, here is my one of my posts concerning Jeff and the issue of cutting the Salary for School Board "service" that he deathly opposes without the slightest explanation of why. You can find these posts here on this blog, where he will call anyone that disagrees with his viewpoint ignorant and uneducated. Which when you look at this blog, and how just about every comment here disagrees with him.
CENSORED COMMENT FOLLOWS:
Jeff, we cannot agree to disagree because you represent me, and that means that you have a moral (or at least a perceived ) responsibility to explain your position to your constituents (that's me) You offer no rhyme or reason to your stance concerning this issue, you feel as if you do not have to explain yourselves to us "ignorant" constituents.
How can you represent me, if you don't know or care about how I think of an issue such as this ?
you further claim that I am turgid, inflexible, and pugnacious. When in fact, that is an excellent description of you and your position here. You have not presented a view other than "I think i should get paid" No reason why this initiative would be NOT be a good idea for the District. I on the other hand have presented why I think it would benefit the district along with reasons. You have discarded that comment, and your constituents views, without consideration, as ignorant, instead of communicating your stance and reasoning to us.
This is the very definition of turgid, inflexible, and pugnacious
Again, you are out of touch with your district.
I don't want to run for the School Board, you did, you wanted this job, now cowboy up and quit whining when the hard questions are asked.
PS this comment has been recorded as screenshot, along with the others you have deleted. It would be a great story for the PNJ to find out Godzilla is back at trying to shape your online appearance, and selectively deleting comments that do not show you in a great light.
Or you could just present your side of your position here, so that we don't have to go that route.
Its sad when a public official stoops to these tactics
unions are the problem in America today, you can try to hide behind the past but the airlines, the post office, textiles, manufacturing--all ruined by greedy self-serving unions. Now htese unions infiltrate public sector workplaces and nobody expexts the inevitible but it will be a disaster
ReplyDeleteTo damage Inc., don't come on here accusing me of stuff I did not do-namely deleting your posts. I have not deleted any of them so lay off the crack pipe why don't you.
ReplyDeleteYour voluminous post amounts to nothing but one big ad hominem attack on me which reveals your complete lack of sophistication and maturity.
Agree or disagree but try to do it with rational arguments and not ridiculous, boorish allegations that reveal your ignorance about me and what I am all about. you do not know me, in fact, you know nothing about me.
And just for your edification-- the bill in the senate to eliminate board salaries died in a committee on Thursday, I'm sure you are glad to hear that, right?
Get a life....
And about the Kathy Breakall quote- I thought it was extremely arrogant and overly strident, and I told bill Vincent of EEA exactly what I thought about it. Not that he cares, but it is lame for that union to come off so arrogant and ungrateful-- this union isn't good enough for the majority of teachers, the good teachers deserve better than what they have representing them. Perhaps this is why the majority of escambia teachers do not belong to this union.....
ReplyDeleteJeff,
ReplyDeleteI ask you to clarify your position and you call me a crack head? Why is it so difficult to get you to explain your position on any issue ?
Please show me one instance in the comment I left that resorts to calling you names like a 3rd grader.
I simply asked you to explain your position to us (as you like to say) "ignorant" constituents. Which, I might point out, you STILL haven't done.
Continue to act this way I encourage you, as you are showing your district your true colors and exactly what "public" service means to you.
Now i never once called you a name in my post, but I will now, and that name is liar.
You certainly did delete my post and as I said, here's the screen shot proof of the thread located here
http://jeffbergoshblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/elimination-of-school-board-salaries-in.html
and here is the screen shot of my post
http://img220.imageshack.us/f/bergoshcensorship.jpg/
if you look on that thread, then look at this screen shot, you see that my comment that was there, but is no longer.
The only explanation is, you deleted the post.
So not only are your insulting to anyone who disagrees with you, you are also a liar.
I ask your constituents if this is who they really want representing them ? Don't forget these actions and the way Jeff acts the next time you exercise your right to vote, and for heavens sake, don't ask him to explain, or disagree with his position, or you will then be called an "ignorant crackhead"...
James-you are delusional. I looked at your screen shot which means nothing. Perhaps you did not post it properly-perhaps you typed in the captcha incorrectly--but I didn't delete your post. And to clarify, I attempted to answer your question explaining that we are paid the same as a first year teacher-however you did not like the way I answered you and proceeded to say I was deceptive, godzilla, "out of touch", etc. now you call me a liar. Here's the way this works-we can agree to disagree, and you can call me names and I'll call you names, but does that solve anything? I'm not a Liar, but you are Pugnacious. Try to find your life, why don't you?
ReplyDeleteHave a day, and goodbye.
by the way, are you James, damage inc., anonymous, or what? Don't know which one you are out of all of your aliases..........
ReplyDeleteYet you continue to delete these posts ...dont you realize that motivates me to expose you doing so ?
ReplyDeleteJeff, as you know a screen shot doesn't lie, and its not the only post. You have deleted several.
ReplyDeleteAnd Just to point out, you STILL have not answered the very simple question "do you feel like you deserve more pay that a teacher that is in their class each and every day."
I did not like your answer, because there was no answer.
Your "answer" was to ask me if I felt it was my own fault that I'm ignorant....Why would you try and deny that when its right there for people to read? "I think its reasonable" is no answer, come on, you know this...
I have already come to the conclusion that this is the way that you respond to anyone that doesn't see things as you do, so I will continue to comment here, and take your abuse, you can continue to call me names all you want, and I will continue to point out that you conduct yourself in such a manner. A bit of exposing your actions may go a long way to shed light on your actions and demeanor to others when they visit the voting booth, its never a bad thing, to know your elected officials and how they react and respond to hard questions and of course if they even care what you think, I am sure that many area reading this right now and forming an opinion on how you operate.
ReplyDeleteYou revel in calling anyone that asks you to explain yourself or actions (in respect to your "service" as a SB member) is ign0rant uneducated and/or on cr@ck, there are several instances of you talking to posters like that here, on this blog, I can gather them all up for you too if you feel you need me to.
ReplyDeleteWhat makes you feel that you have the right to speak to people like that? Do you think that gives a good impression to the public that your "service" is for? Or are you one that thinks that your "service" puts you above the rest of us, like so many of your posts leave one feeling that you do, in fact, think that way.
My alias is hardy what we are even talking abut, who cares what my alias is? and how exactly does that factor into my asking you to explain your position ? Which I cant stress enough, you still haven't done.
unions will never be happy until their members have everything and it doenst matter what the economy is doing and escambia teachers union is about worst of all of them.
ReplyDelete