Sheridan teachers demand union recognition, contract, end to union busting

Englewood, CO – On December 10, the Sheridan Educators Association (SEA) held a press conference outside of their district’s administration building to demand that the district resume recognition of the longstanding teachers union, a contract, and an end to union-busting tactics.

Over 100 people gathered from unions and workplaces across the area in support of the teachers, including members of Denver Classroom Teachers Association, Sheridan Classified Educators, Teamsters, UFCW grocery workers, local insulators, masons, and educators from Englewood, Cherry Creek and Littleton.

SEA President Kate Biester said, “We have representation from every kind of worker from across this metro area because when you mess with one of us, you mess with us all.”

Staff member Hannah Johnston spoke to the crowd about why SEA is speaking out. Johnston said since last May, the district has been unresponsive to concerns from teachers and staff about safety, position cuts and low pay. The teachers have been working without a contract for over 130 days. On winter days with 90-minute delays due to unsafe road conditions, teachers have been expected to come into school at their usual start time, despite unsafe driving conditions. These concerns have been ignored by the district and Superintendent Gionni Thompson.

In addition, three teaching positions and two paraprofessional positions were cut, but the work from these positions did not go away, and staff were expected to take on the extra workload. In August, when staff spoke out against the position cuts at a board meeting, board member Juanita Camacho called the staff “whiny.” The district has offered a 1% increase in Sheridan teachers’ wages, but insurance costs have risen high enough that even with the increase, teachers would be taking home less pay than they did one year ago.

Johnston closed out by saying, “Asking for professional respect, safety, and fair wages is not only our responsibility but our right. We do not have contracts; our teachers are taking home less pay than they ever have, and communication from leadership only surfaces under pressure. Our students are suffering the consequences.”

Superintendent Thompson stated that the district leadership has been doing its part, and stalling negotiations was the union’s fault due to missed meetings. SEA President Biester spoke up to set the record straight about the missed meetings the district was referring to, saying, “The district has been and continues to make disingenuous claims that they have offered to return to the table for negotiations. The district told teachers they would only engage in mediation if we agreed that any employees would be fired if they did any union activity whatsoever.”

Biester continued, “The other condition was that the district could go line by line and redline whatever they wanted out of our contract. They wanted to take out any provisions they didn’t like. Again, I want to be clear that these were two conditions we would have had to agree to before they would even sit down to meet with us, so if you are asked why we missed those meetings, it was because those are unacceptable conditions that I would never agree to for my workers.

A relevant document from the district reads, “There will be no strike, picketing, picket line observance, work slowdown, or other concerted work-related activity by members of the association that impairs the classroom performance of the members of the association. Any person who engages in such actions may be subject to immediate discharge or other discipline.”

Kevin Vick, a high school social studies teacher and president of Colorado Education Association, closed out the event by saying, “Colorado educators, parents and communities will no longer stand for school districts’ attack on the very public schools they are meant to serve and support. We call on the board to immediately reinstate union recognition and work in good faith to create a new agreement.”

Vick continued, “As a statewide union and the voice for teachers and other educators across Colorado, we are standing with Sheridan educators, and so are our colleagues and other Coloradans across the state. And make no mistake – people are watching. Restore the contract!“

#EnglewoodCO #CO #Labor #Teachers #SEA