CALEXICO — An unconfirmed but considerable number of Calexico Unified School District teachers reportedly failed to show for work on Wednesday, March 30, in what may be considered the latest flashpoint over ongoing contentious contract negotiations between the district and the teachers’ union.
One estimate placed the number of absent teachers solely at Calexico High at more than 50, while most if not all of Aurora High’s faculty of approximately 12 teachers were reportedly absent, according to sources with knowledge of the situation. More than 20 absences were reportedly called in at Enrique Camarena Junior High School.
The absences comes as a meeting of the Calexico Unified School District Board of Trustee was continued to Tuesday night, March 29, where the board approved a resolution that changed the provider of its health, dental and vision insurance plan, according to one source who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Calls placed to both high schools were referred to the district’s administrative office, which did not immediately respond to requests for comment about the teachers’ reported absences.
When contacted on Wednesday morning, CUSD Board of Trustees President Lorenzo Calderon Jr. said he was not made aware of any so-called “teacher sickout.”
Board Trustee Ciro Calderon likewise said he was unaware of any such concerted action, which would be technically illegal if true.
“I have not heard anything official, but I wouldn’t doubt it,” Calderon said in a mid-morning text message.
School district Building Commission member Ben Horton said he had spoken with a CUSD board member who had acknowledged that a considerable number of teachers had failed to report to work on March 30.
“They used the word ‘sickout,’” Horton said in a phone interview, referring to the board member’s remark.
The term “sickout” would be significant in the midst of ongoing contract strife between the district and the Associated Calexico Teachers.
According to the state Employment Development Department, sickouts are considered employee work stoppages that put pressure on an employer in an attempt to have the employees’ demands met.
“If the facts indicate the employees are participating in a sickout, they would be considered to have voluntarily left their jobs due to a trade dispute,” the EDD website stated.
Associated Calexico Teachers president Xavier Rodriguez said he was not aware if more teachers than usual happened to call in sick on Wednesday, nor advised by anyone whether such a collective plan had existed.
“It’s not something (ACT) would ever endorse,” Rodriguez, who was not absent from work Wednesday, said in a midday phone interview.
As a result of Tuesday night’s decision by the school board, starting on July 1, the joint powers authority known as the Self-Insured Schools of California will serve as the administrator of the district’s benefits plan instead of Anthem Blue Cross. The board approved the resolution 4-1 vote, board member Calderon voting in opposition.
Calderon said he didn’t think it was appropriate to vote on switching insurance providers while unresolved contract negotiations were considering insurance proposals. He also characterized the resolution as an item that was being driven by the district’s lead negotiator in the contract talks, who was not present during the board meeting.
“This is one of those decisions that I believe we are being given to make,” Calderon said, while acknowledging that the switch to Self-Insured Schools of California is expected to save the district money.
Following the majority of the board’s approval of the resolution, calls of “Strike” could be heard coming from some people in the meeting’s audience.
On Wednesday, ACT president Rodriguez acknowledged that the board’s vote presented another point of contention for ACT members and contract negotiations, which previously were declared at an impasse and are about to enter the fact-finding phase.
“Usually, those kinds of changes go through a very lengthy negotiating process to make sure it’s in the best interest of the parties who are served,” Rodriguez said. “It’s something we really didn’t want because we’re really happy with our current insurance provider.”
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The district’s current provider is Anthem Blue Cross. Prior to its vote, district Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Brian Thurman told the board that the changes would be limited to the benefit plan’s administrator and that no changes would occur to the insurance benefits.
The use of SISC as a vendor would allow the district to avoid “volatile” premium costs from increasing, Thurman said.
At least one certificated district employee who spoke to this newspaper on the conditions of anonymity on Wednesday, said it is believed the change in insurance carriers will come a significant out-of-pocket costs to district employees.
According to the district’s latest last, best and final salary and benefits proposal dated Wednesday, Feb. 9, ACT members stand to gain a 20.5 percent salary schedule increase, as well as a 3 percent total off-schedule payment as part of a contract that covers the 2017-18 through 2021-22 school years.
The proposal appears to go beyond the total 15 percent salary increase that CUSD had offered ACT in September and which only covered the three school years between 2018 and 2021, according to information found on the district’s website.
Tuesday’s board meeting at Cesar Chavez Elementary was a continuation of a Thursday, March 24 meeting that had been held at the district’s board room and which was cut short because the crowd had exceeded room occupancy standards.
During Tuesday’s meeting, board members were again subjected to plenty of backlash during the public comment period over stalled contract negotiations.
Teacher Melissa Gamboa said she has been experiencing migraine headaches because of the added stress and strain because of the prolonged contract negotiations and district officials’ broken promises.
“CUSD is bad for my health and yet you are trying to cap our health benefits and you’re the one bringing us health issues,” Gamboa said.
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