Orange County teachers union again declares impasse after unsuccessful contract talks with school district

Orlando Weekly | By McKenna Schueler  | September 17, 2024 

This is the third time in four years that the union and the district have deadlocked, as schools continue to struggle with teacher vacancies

For the third time in four years, the labor union representing teachers, school psychologists and other instructional staff in Orange County Public Schools has found itself at impasse with the school district over disagreements during contract talks.

The Orange County Classroom Teachers Association, representing about 14,000 staff in local K-12 schools, negotiates collective bargaining agreements that address issues such as wages, job benefits, time for lesson planning and healthcare costs. Representing teachers at the bargaining table are both union staff and educators who are chosen by their peers to represent them and their interests in discussions with school district reps.

After securing a historic raise for teachers earlier this year, however, the union is now accusing OCPS superintendent Maria Vazquez of being “inflexible” in contract negotiations, and blasting the school district for offering just a 1.9 percent pay increase this year (a spokesperson for the district claims the offer was 2 percent).

“Teachers can’t afford to support their families in Orange County,” said union president Clinton McCracken, a former art teacher at Howard Middle School, in a news release, adding that the district’s current offer is “unacceptable.”  “Trying to pay your bills and keep up with the cost of living is weighing heavily on teachers,” he said. The union pushed for a 4.4 percent average increase during negotiations.

Orange County CTA president Clinton McCracken speaks in front of the school board.

Salaries in Orange County Public Schools begin at $49,375 for teachers and $58,293 for school psychologists, under the union’s existing agreement. Teachers have warned that pay isn’t keeping up with Florida’s cost of living, and have cited affordability as a key contributor to decisions by educators to leave the classroom — or the state — as schools continue to grapple with instructor shortages.

New state regulations that have created confusion over what teachers legally can and cannot teach, how they refer to themselves on the job, and accusations of educators promoting “indoctrination” in classrooms haven’t done much to boost morale, either.

As of August, just ahead of the new school year, the Florida Education Association identified 184 instructional vacancies in Orange County Public Schools, slightly down from 196 vacancies identified the same time last year. Across the state, the FEA identified just over 5,000 instructional vacancies.

Beyond pay, the teachers’ union in Orange County has also raised concerns about other issues in schools, from problems with air conditioning in classrooms to parental leave and pumping rights for nursing mothers. Earlier this month, AC issues at Ocoee Middle School sent four students to the hospital for heat-related illness, WKMG News 6 reported.

The teachers’ union, in response to the news, wrote on social media, “Members can contact us. We have contract language that guarantees safe and healthful working conditions.”

As Orlando Weekly recently reported, union contracts are one of the only protections that public sector employees in Florida have when it comes to workplace safety requirements. Florida’s public sector workers are not covered by the basic federal health and safety regulations enforced by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and state lawmakers abolished Florida’s own Division of Safety for public employees nearly 25 years ago.

Heat has been a hot topic (no pun intended) in Florida recently, due to a new state law approved by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis that bars local governments from requiring employers to establish basic protective measures, such as water breaks, for their employees.

Children can be especially vulnerable to the dangers of extreme heat, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Schools across the country, some of which were built without AC, are similarly struggling with the dangers posed by rising temperatures and dated infrastructure.

According to Orange County Public Schools, the district has reached agreement on certain issues during contract talks this cycle, including an expansion of teachers’ eligibility for supplemental pay based on advanced degrees they hold, as well as clarifications on allowed remote work and the creation of a Labor Management Committee, per a news release.

The district denied the union’s claim that the district had “forced” the union to declare impasse, and rejected the union’s characterization of superintendent Vazquez, who provided a video update on the impasse last Friday. Her five-minute update, uploaded to YouTube and shared to social media, drew over 500 comments on Facebook, including some from teachers who said they felt disrespected by the district’s treatment of teachers.

“You need to show you respect us, not just post that you hear us. It’s time to make change,” wrote one local teacher, in response to Vazquez’s video.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen teachers this frustrated, stressed and vocal and I’ve been with the district a long time,” wrote another. “I believe in the power of public education. We have to put our minds together to find a better way so teachers feel respected and valued.”

The Orange County CTA, which has accused Vazquez of attempting to “vilify” the union and teachers, expects an impasse hearing in front of the Orange County School Board next month. This time around, they are seeking to bypass the alternative (and more time-consuming) process of having their case heard in front of a third-party special magistrate appointed by state’s Public Employees Relations Commission. Under state statutes, both parties are permitted to secure the appointment of a state mediator, but are not required to.