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WASL |
May
8 , 2003
At the May 7 School Board meeting it was announced
that there will be a reduction in force (RIF) of 178 certificated
employees. In their effort to meet a $8.7 million budget deficit,
both classified and certificated employees’ positions are
on the chopping block. Only certificated lay-offs were announced
Wednesday.
Seattle Education Association’s focus remains threefold: 1)
to continue to demand evidence that each and every layoff was absolutely
necessary; 2) to ensure that collective bargaining language re:
RIF is followed resulting in fair treatment and 3) to provide support
for those employees displaced and RIFfed.
Certificated employees will receive notices that they are being
laid off beginning May 9. Joint SEA/Seattle Schools counseling sessions
are being organized to explain the rights of RIFfed employees; resources
for emotional support; benefits; and unemployment procedures.
“A layoff notice is devastating,” says SEA President
John Dunn. “It is tremendously unfair that the Seattle Schools
cannot better support their most important asset. It is incumbent
upon SEA to do everything possible to be sure these layoffs were
necessary and to diligently monitor that the rights of RIFfed employees
are safeguarded.”
178 will not, by September, be the actual number of certs RIFfed.
As employees submit their written intentions to retire or resign,
vacancies will arise that will absorb employees currently holding
RIF notices.
“In recent years, retirements and resignations have been over
300 employees. But, in this year’s economy predictions are
impossible. We are in uncharted territory. The tighter job market
and the rise in health care costs for retirees has changed the economic
landscape,” said SEA Vice President Wendy Kimball. “By
August, many RIFfed employees may have contracts, but meanwhile
we’ll push for evidence that other budget cutting measures
couldn’t be implemented that would have less impact on students."
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