Thanksgiving Update

As we celebrate this Thanksgiving week with family and friends, be it known that USEP is thankful for all our members. In a world where we are being tested at every turn, we appreciate your trust in us and will continue to advocate on your behalf - in Tallahassee during the upcoming Legislative Session and here at home at the bargaining table. We take very seriously the obligation we have as Bargaining Agent for Pasco County employees. It is priority number one to work toward making your working environment safe and productive. We continue to work diligently to increase salaries and have advocated for a referendum to add to funds made available for salary adjustments. It was USEP that worked to get all qualified employees not covered by the Governor’s bonus plan paid the $1,000 COVID Supplement. We are advocating for change in the Teacher Salary Increase Allocation to allow us to address the compression that has happened on the Instructional side and to provide dedicated funding to Districts for all support personnel.

You, each and every one of our members, are USEP. Let’s be thankful for each other and collectively renew a vow to move our organization forward by having personal conversations with those who have yet to become a part of the professional organization that stands in the gap between employee and employer. Let them know what USEP has meant to you. Let them know of our collective voice. Challenge them to join with us. Together we can and will make a difference in Pasco and across the state.

Enjoy your time off. Love on those around you and have a very enjoyable Thanksgiving.

• JIM CIADELLA RETIRES!
• After over 20 years of service to USEP and its members in several capacities, Jim has decided that golf and family are his new priorities. Jim has served under 3 Presidents and has represented USEP proudly as the Director of Operations, Chief Negotiator of both Instructional and SRP teams and has served on many committees on our behalf. While it is bittersweet that this day has come, we wish Jim all the best in his retirement. “Hit ‘em hard and straight, Jim!”.

• Progress Monitoring Program
• USEP filed a grievance on behalf of all PMP users. We have demanded to Bargain the Impact to employees, and toward that end, USEP has had several meetings with various District personnel to clarify and simplify the PMP. Many of our concerns are being addressed with the goal being to make it easier and less time-consuming for teachers to utilize this process. We will give definitive information once the situation is resolved to our satisfaction.

• Illness in the Line of Duty
• USEP filed a grievance on behalf of members due to the District’s actions during the October ILD meeting. A date has been set for a Level II grievance hearing to address our concerns.

• Teacher Evaluations
• USEP has notified the District of our intent to hold to contract language and discuss the outcome of last year’s SPM/VAM scores. We will be looking at any situation where an individual has been harmed due to lower student scores. If this has affected you, please contact your Building Rep to let USEP know.

• School Start Times
• USEP has engaged in several conversations with District staff to express concerns over the District-wide change of school start times. We are gathering information now to discern how new student contact times correlate with employee contract times. Discussions are ongoing on this matter

USEP APPRECIATES YOU AND THANKS YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!