Members of the Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA) announced they expect to file an unfair labor practice charge against the Board of Education (BOE) and will be holding a rally at 5 p.m. Tuesday to discuss what they are calling a lack of transparency and delaying tactics concerning contract negotiations.
The rally will be held outside the Carver Educational Service Center, 850 Hungerford Dr., Rockville. At 6 p.m., union officials and members of the BOE will hold their annual meeting inside.
MCEA has accused the school district of stalling and refusing to negotiate fairly.
“It is time for MCPS to bargain in good faith and ensure that the whole community is represented and informed as we negotiate for a fair contract that is reflective of the needs of our students, our educators and our communities. We will not be derailed, and we will bring our bargaining proposals to light, even if MCPS wants to continue to operate in hiding,” Danillya Wilson, a first-grade teacher at Wheaton Woods and secretary on the Board of the MCEA, said in a news release.
“MCPS is using the demand for open negotiations as a reason to put off bargaining. That delay tactic is in violation of state labor laws governing negotiations between employees and employers. Today’s action follows a letter that was sent to the MCPS chief negotiator and the Board of Education on Friday. If no response is forthcoming from MCPS by the close of business Tuesday, MCEA will file charges of an Unfair Labor Practice,” it stated in the news release.
“Turnover and resignation rates for educators continue to skyrocket, resulting in staffing shortages, disruptive teacher transfers, and less-than-optimal conditions for students,” Latechia Mitchell, a staff development teacher and MCEA Bargaining Team Chair, said in the release.
“This current wave of educator attrition points to fundamental flaws in the way educators are treated. This educator exodus points to fundamental flaws in the way teachers are treated. Let’s make MCPS a top-notch destination for educators again, by coming together to negotiate a contract that addresses these issues,” she said.
Attrition and teacher shortages are due to inadequate wages, substitute teacher shortages, lack of autonomy and unreasonable workloads, according to Mitchell.
