Good afternoon Bethel Educators, 

First and foremost, we want to thank each and every one of you who showed up to support bargaining yesterday. Whether that be by wearing your EEA swag, talking with your colleagues, or attending the rally outside the District Office, your support for each other and the students we work with each day was electrifying and had a huge impact on our discussion at the table. It did not go unnoticed by the District, and the state mediator was taken aback by the massive turnout. Everyone in that room knew that Bethel educators were united, and that your bargaining team meant business.  

We went into mediation with 11 open articles. While we had hoped the District would come with a response on these outstanding issues, the mediator quickly recognized what our members have witnessed throughout the last 9 months of bargaining – we weren’t going to make progress until the District actually engaged in good faith discussion with us about the critical issues Bethel educators need addressed. We spent the bulk of our 5-hour session in deep conversation with the mediator and later with the District about issues related to class sizes, caseloads, academic freedom, and protection from negative impacts due to federal or state law changes. Though the discussion was perhaps the most productive one we’ve had throughout this bargain, it did not result in an agreement. Your bargaining team does not take any further delay in securing a fair contract lightly, and remains committed to continuing to fight for what Bethel educators deserve. To win, we will need your continued support.

Through these hard conversations we made it clear to the District that we intend to secure strong language across the board to support all staff, both financially and in working conditions. Because you showed up, they took our position seriously.

Our next mediation session with the District will be Monday, December 15th at 8:00 am. In the meantime, we will continue to have focused discussion with District administration about our remaining issues with the goal of securing a contract on December 15th. In the coming days, look for communication from EEA on how you can continue to show your support. 

In Solidarity,

Your Bethel Bargaining Team