Northbay Uprising - Information for the liberated zones of the San Pablo Bay

2011-02-22 "Wisconsin Public Workers Protests Spill Over To Concord's Mt. Diablo School District"
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, February 21, 2011
Contact: Rosa Cabrera 925.586-4302 or 916.996-9170 rcabrera@peu1.org.
Attn: Daybook/Assignment Desk for Tuesday
WISCONSIN PUBLIC UNION WORKER PROTESTS
Spill Over to Concord's Mt. Diablo School District;
School Employees Hold Joint Briefing and Protest Tuesday
CONCORD – Encouraged by huge public worker protests in Wisconsin after politicians there attempted to outlaw public unions, hundreds of public school employees at the Mt. Diablo Unified School District (MDUSD) plan to hold big demonstrations Tuesday.
Details will be disclosed at a news conference TUESDAY, 10 a.m. in front of Monte Gardens Elementary (3841 Larkspur Drive, Concord). Representatives from Local 1, CSEA, CTA, MDEA and NEA unions will be in attendance representing thousands of employees.
Later TUESDAY, 5-7 p.m., a "BLUE" DEMONSTRATION, featuring hundreds of "blue" MDUSD workers responsible for keeping schools safe, clean, transporting and feeding students and teaching them, will be held prior to the MDUSD board meeting at Monte Gardens.
As in Wisconsin, school employee unions are charging that the district is using the excuse of budget cuts to destroy the unions and collective bargaining.
The employees have offered proposals, rejected by MDUSD, that would save the district millions of dollars. Further cuts, they say, will make it impossible to provide safe and clean classrooms as well as a good education to students.
The district, they said, has not negotiated in good faith, forcing talks to go to the "fact-finding" stage – one step away from a strike.
“Our proposals, including furlough days and a willingness to share in the sacrifice in response to the budget crisis, would save the district millions of dollars. But the district has refused our offers. We have been looking for MDUSD to provide hope for our members - that when things get better for the district, they will get better for us, too,” said Rosa Cabrera of Local 1.
The employees include those from Local One, California School Employees Association and Mount Diablo Education Association who provide food service, office, technology, classroom assistance, custodial service, landscape and maintenance duties, and classroom instruction.

2011-02-22 "Mt. Diablo school employees to rally against closures"
[http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/education&id=7973287]
CONCORD, Calif. (KGO) -- The Mount Diablo School District voted to shut down Glenbrook Middle School and Holbrook Elementary, which was expected. But a third school may still have to close, and parents say they had no clue Westwood Elementary was in danger, along with Silverwood.
Hundreds of public school employees from the Mt. Diablo Unified School District plan to protest tonight outside the school board meeting where members will discuss the possible closure of another school.
District officials already agreed to close Glenbrook Middle School and Holbrooke Elementary School next fall. Board members now have to decide on a third school, either Silverwood elementary or Westwood elementary.
The public school employees claim that the district is using the excuse of budget cuts to destroy the unions and collective bargaining.