Dear PFT Members,                                                                    Novemeber 17, 2021

Great news on several fronts!
 

1.      Tentative Agreement Reached
The PUSD/PFT Interest Based Problem Solving Team (IBPS) has reached a Tentative Agreement (TA) on a 4% ongoing salary increase for PFT unit members, retroactive to July 1, 2021! Details have been shared with PFT Representatives during our Site Representative Council Meeting today from 4:00-5:30 and they have unanimously ratified the agreement. The agreement is attached to this email for your review.

PFT Members will vote on the Tentative Agreement on November 30 & December 1. If the TA is ratified by Members, it will go before the PUSD School Board for a vote on December 16.
 

2.      Extension of Supplemental Paid Sick Leave (SPSL)
We have successfully negotiated an extension of Supplemental Paid Sick Leave (SPSL) for COVID-19 related reasons! This means unit members impacted by COVID-19 will not have to use their own sick leave for qualifying absences, which was the case when the law that provided this leave expired on September 30. The district is preparing a form and instructions to allow unit members to access this leave (retroactively to October 1 or prospectively), which will be sent to you soon. Please see the attached MOU for details.

3.      Catastrophic Leave Process
We have also agreed upon our new pilot catastrophic leave process (see attached MOU for details). An electronic platform is being built to eliminate the use of paper forms. As soon as it is completed, we will kick off the catastrophic leave drive. Some important features of the Catastrophic Leave Bank and changes in the new process include:

- This leave can be used to care for yourself or for a family member impacted by a catastrophic illness when all other sick leave and paid time off have been exhausted.
 

- Membership in the Bank is open to all unit members regardless of status (temporary, probationary, & permanent), instead of being only open to permanent teachers as it was in the past.

- Requirement to donate at least one day during each drive (projected to be every three years) to be a member of the Bank and be eligible to receive catastrophic leave. Unit members who donated last spring will automatically be members of the Bank and do not need to donate again in this drive.

- After your first voluntary donation, you will remain in the Bank and a day will automatically be deducted from your sick leave during each drive (projected to be every three years). This was the preference of membership in our survey results (attached) and will ensure members of the Bank do not forget to donate during a drive, which would make them ineligible. Members of the Bank may opt out during a drive if they no longer wish to participate in the program but doing so will make them ineligible to be a recipient of this leave.

Please see your PFT Site Representative if you have any questions about the TA or these two new MOUs.

In Unity,
Kelly

Attachments:
Catastrophic Leave MOU
Catastrophic Survey Data Summary
Extension of SPSL MOU for 2021-22
Tentative Agreement 2021-22