CCEA’s threat of strike forces CCSD to take legal actions

Posted at 17:12h in Clark County School District, Community, Elementary Schools, Employees, High Schools, Middle Schools, Press Release, Students by Bryan C

Today, the Clark County School District (CCSD) filed a complaint in District Court for an injunction to prevent the CCEA from striking in violation of state law. This action is based on the CCEA’s threats, which were publicly reiterated this weekend, to engage in “work actions”, clearly amounting to a strike, if a contract between the CCEA and the District is not reached by August 26. Because of this impending threat, CCSD also filed with the Employee-Management Relations Board (EMRB) a petition to withdraw CCEA’s bargaining agent status as the representative for  CCSD’s licensed professional employees.

The District does not take these actions lightly as our educators await a new contract, but Nevada law is crystal clear that a strike or a threat of a strike is unlawful and, when undertaken, is grounds for withdrawal of recognition as the bargaining agent of a local government employee group.

In addition to illegally threatening a strike this weekend, the CCEA repeatedly misrepresented the District’s contract proposals. Contrary to what the CCEA has stated or implied:

  • The District has proposed to pay teachers for the additional instructional time at the teachers’ contract rate, the same as under the contract waivers.

  • The District has proposed additional compensation for SPED and Hard to Fill position teachers in an amount greater than the CCEA’s proposal.

  • The District has proposed pay increases for all CCEA bargaining unit employees in both years of the contract. This is in addition to continuing the following: salary advancement under the Differentiated Salary program, column advancement under the salary table related to the PGS, and a one-step advancement under the salary table.

  • The District has proposed to use the CCEA’s portion of the SB 231 monies received from the state for bargaining unit employee pay increases with a sunset provision included.

  • The District continues to propose the correction of inequities in the current salary schedule.

  • The District has proposed significant increases to the Teacher Health Trust in both years of the contract.

  • The District has proposed the continuation of the recruiting bonus for new, out-of-state teachers to help fill vacancies.  Despite the CCEA claiming that the District wasn’t doing enough to fill vacancies, the CCEA rejected this recruitment tool.

The District is extremely disappointed in the CCEA’s threats of illegal strikes and its misrepresentations of the District’s contract proposals. These actions by the CCEA don’t move the parties any closer to reaching a new agreement and are a disservice to the District’s students, parents, and staff.  Despite this, the District remains committed to bargaining with the CCEA in good faith to reach an agreement.  We look forward to the parties’ next bargaining sessions on August 17 and 18, which the parties agreed to last Friday.

To learn more about the Clark County School District, visit ccsd.net.