News

Banning teachers to strike through Monday

Published August 9, 2018 7:28 PM

The first day of school for thousands of kids in Banning didn’t go quite as planned, as parents had to walk their children into class past their picketing teachers. Many educators are on strike over what they’re calling “unfair labor practices.”

A large group of teachers boycotting several decisions they said were made by Superintendent Robert T. Guillen could be seen outside of Nicolet Middle School in the morning. Teachers kicked off the 3-day strike by wearing red, chanting and hoisting signs. They later moved to various middle schools around the district to protest, before meeting back up at Banning High School around 2:45 p.m.

The grievances, according to Anthony Garcia, president of the Banning Teachers Association, include the following:

The Superintendent has violated the teachers’ contracts The Superintendent doesn’t care about working conditions The Superintendent doesn’t respect the teachers The Superintendent added hours to the middle school day without consenting the teachers (Garcia says this was the last straw)

The picketing teachers intend to return to work come Monday.

On August 7, Superintendent Guillen sent out a letter addressed to “All Members of the Banning Unified School District Community.”

It rad, in part:

“The Banning Teachers Association notified me that they intend to strike beginning tomorrow, but I want to assure you that we are taking the necessary steps to ensure that school opens tomorrow for the 4,565 children we serve,” the letter reads. “…On a personal note, I want to say how distasteful and unprofessional I find this action. The union leadership knows full well that we can meet to discuss disagreements, and that they need not take action to disrupt our children’s education in order to be heard.”

Guillen goes on in the letter to mention refer to the children’s education is “paramount,” and that “adult issues need to be addressed in a manner that does not compromise” the commitment to teaching the children.

Read the District’s full statements below: