Teacher Union Pushes for Change

This year the Acalanes Education Association (AEA), a union for teachers, librarians, counselors, and phycologists in the Acalanes Union High School District (AUHSD), has many proposals for improving various conditions for faculty and staff. The AEA hopes to negotiate salaries, teaching hours, benefits, working conditions, and department chairs.

There are currently 18 representatives that participate in the AEA for the AUHSD.

Current AEA representatives for Campolindo are teachers Justin Seligman, Michelle Alessandria, Tren Kauzer, and Ken Ingersoll, as well as psychologist Bonnie Willax.

Every year the AEA participates in about 10 district and board meetings in the hopes of negotiating for improved working conditions.  Ingersoll said, “We’re the people that are going to go to the district office and sit in the board room and battle it out for the contract.”

Meetings that take place between representatives and the board are open to the public, but meetings between the representatives and the district board office are private, and take place in the district office. The negotiations for the current contract year have already been completed, and the AEA is now negotiating for next year’s contract.

Some of the new points of emphasis include increases in the salary schedule, improved conditions surrounding maternity leave, establishing lower student-staff ratios for counselors, psychologists, nurses, and continued health care coverage for all employees and their families. Willax said, “I think this union is very helpful; I think without this unions teachers would not have the salaries they do.”

Ingersoll said, “I feel strong about representing teachers, and I feel strong about teachers rights. And if teachers aren’t defended then they’re going to get taken advantage of.”

According to Willax, the representatives have not yet been able to achieve any progress for next year, but they are working towards better salaries as well as various health benefits.