07/11/2020
Don’t forget to complete the survey!
Survey Reminder
Thank you to all who have completed the survey. It has helped us better understand how our members feel about opening in August. However, we are hoping to get more responses. So far we have about 200, and we would like to double that number. If you haven’t completed the survey, please participate by Tuesday. Our meeting is on Wednesday! You can find it by clicking here. The survey is 100% anonymous!
President’s Message
These days I am not sleeping so well. Every morning at 3am I suddenly awake with our members’ health and safety heavy on my mind. We are living in unprecedented times, and SOSCA is facing an unprecedented fight to keep classified staff as sheltered as possible from the ongoing COVID pandemic. We have received an amazing amount of letters, notes, and messages from individuals who share our concerns and are willing to speak up to management. I want to thank each and every one of you for your participation during this crucial time.
However, we don’t all see eye-to-eye. I want to acknowledge those who are ready to return to the office full-time and do not fear the virus. I also want to reach out to those workers who are not on an A/B schedule and are feeling even more at risk than others. I understand that COVID elicits strong emotions in all of us, and there is no perfect solution. We are acting in the best interest of our members and would never take on a fight that the majority of classified staff was not interested in. However, at this time, over 80% of survey respondents do not believe returning to the office 100% of the time is a good idea. Over 90% of the letters we have received are also not in support of reopening in August. I want to be clear that we are taking this stand because the of vast majority of members share the board’s concerns regarding August’s schedule.
We are still looking for more survey responses! If you have not filled out our survey, please complete it as soon as possible. You can find it here. Don’t forget to share it with your coworkers; we are looking for responses from all classified non-management staff, not just SOSCA members. This affects us all, and the board wants to know what the staff as a whole wants for August.
I have received a couple questions that I thought I would share here for you all to read. One staff member wanted to know if any of our money went to political activities, and the answer is no, never. SOSCA is the KCOS collective bargaining unit for classified staff, and we are not connected to any larger unions. None of our money is spent on political activities. It all goes to member events, scholarships, mailing expenses, and general operating expenses. ALL board members are volunteers and no one is paid. Another question that I hear a lot is about our mailing list. Why doesn’t it reach everyone? This is one of our biggest issues at SOSCA; we are not allowed to send out emails via all staff and instead have to operate off of our own mailing list. We do not receive a list of emails of members. Instead, we have to collect them ourselves and the process is not perfect. If you do not receive our emails, check your spam. If you still do not see it, contact me at [email protected] and I will add you to the list.
I want to thank each and every one of you for your participation, and I hope that we receive more feedback via our survey in the coming days. I am working hard to compile a report based off the survey to share with management to hopefully change their minds. I want to be as transparent as possible, and I want to assure you that this report will also be made available on our website so you can view it as well.
I really have no idea how open management will be to the idea of changing course this August. I anticipate that this conversation will be difficult, and I worry every day that they won’t hear us. But I can promise you one thing: I will fight as hard as I can. The board will use your voices collectively to give our cause strength. I will be fierce in fighting for our members. I will represent each and every one of you as best as I can.
My door is always open. If you would like to speak to me, you can reach me by responding to this email or call me directly at 661-364-8844.
Sincerely,
Courtney Clerico
SOSCA President
Here is a listing of current site reps. If you are interested in becoming a SOSCA hero for your team, please email [email protected]. Site reps are vital to our efforts.
Alicia Hernandez Foster Youth Instructional Svcs [email protected]
Carlos Mendez Alternative Education [email protected]
Catherine Sarad Internal Business Svcs [email protected]
Cherie Anderson Alternative Education chandderson .org
Connie Cervantes SISC Benefits [email protected]
Monica Espinoza Alternative Education [email protected]
Shelley Ross Special Education [email protected]
Wegener Beverley Migrant Ed [email protected]
Erika Torres HR [email protected]
Erin Clerico Technology [email protected]
Carlos Lara CCCC [email protected]
Brianna Cardoza Facilities [email protected]
Maria Madrigal SELPA [email protected]
Renee Gonzalez SELPA [email protected]
Elena Perez External Business Services [email protected]
John
& Monica Lotze
Sevilla FCMAT [email protected]
or [email protected]
Juana Del Villar School Community Partnerships [email protected]
Rosita Allen Worker's Compensation [email protected]
Michelle Stephenson CSIS [email protected]
Randye Rogers Property & Liability [email protected]
Important: Improving our mailing list. Still, more Help Needed!
Thank you to everyone who got those email addresses to us!
If you can do one thing for your fellow classified employees today, it would be to forward this email to them to ensure they are on our list. With these uncertain times, it is more important than ever that we band together and improve communication as a bargaining unit. Our list is dated and it is impossible to get a list of all classified emails from administration, so we have to work together to get the word out.
If you were forwarded this email and did not receive it on your own, simply respond to this email with the address you want added. Encourage your coworkers to do the same!
Stay safe, strong, and healthy. We are so proud to be coworkers with such an amazing team. Thank you for everything you do for the children of Kern County.
We are here for you.
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PO Box 2783
Bakersfield, CA 93303-2783
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