Victory at PERB & New Horizon

Oct 29, 2021

Earlier this month, we went toe to toe with Caliber Public Schools at the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) which determined that Caliber broke the law when it:

1. Refused to offer one of our members a new work contract for the school year in retaliation for his union activities
2. Surveilled, questioned, and investigated some of our members about the union activities
3. Ordered our members to refrain from talking about their effort to unionize during school hours, and on campus
4. Censored emails in the internal system between our expressing support for efforts to organize a union
5. Denied our rights to union representation

This is proof that when we stand together as workers, educate each other on our rights, and use our collective power we can ensure justice for ALL teachers, staff, students, and families in our Caliber community! PERB is now going to work with us and Caliber management to reach a settlement. Typically, settlements include offers for reinstatement with back pay for our members who faced retaliation, statements of wrongdoing and a commitment to not do so again in the future, along with training for management on workers’ rights, among other things.

What’s Next?

The challenges facing teachers, staff, students, and families these past few years through this pandemic are vast, this cannot be the time to go at it alone. The Caliber Workers Union is here. We gather, we talk about our problems, we put together action plans to tackle them, and together—we WIN. This is the essence of what it is to be in a union.

Now that Caliber Admin has been humbled over their attempts to throw speed bumps in front of us teachers and staff that want to go union, it’s time for us to focus up & kick into high gear for the final push to get our union certified to begin bargaining collectively over the issues that matter most to all of us. Whether that is equitable pay scales, stipends for VITAL translation services, protected prep time, class sizes, ensuring that teacher turnover ends so we can best serve children and their families, and beyond! Certifying our union will equip us with another tool in our toolbox, legally requiring Caliber to listen to workers as equals at the bargaining table.

ChangeMakers Academy

Topping our list of priorities is to ensure our fellow workers at ChangeMakers Academy have a voice in how our school ought to be run. By signing an authorization card, the digital piece of paper we’ll require as evidence of union support to get our union certified for all workers at Caliber. These cards are entirely confidential from Caliber Admin, and will eventually be shared with an independent verifier at the California Public Employees Relations Board.

Together we have each others’ backs as union siblings and work together to ensure our rights on the job! And asking questions and sharing your perspective in our next meeting Wednesday November 3 at 5:30pm on zoom (email us at [email protected] for the link).