News

Citrus County Education Association--like every other Florida Education Association local in the state--has been hard at work rebuilding membership, staving off decertification and continuing advocacy to improve the educator working conditions that are student learning conditions. Registration renewal and a successful reelection as the designated bargaining agent for instructional and white-collar support staff in Citrus Schools in 2024 was the direct result of coordinated organizing efforts by the members of CCEA. Members collected hundreds of interest cards to trigger elections which won the overwhelming support of Citrus Schools employees.

The 2025 renewal process is now underway. CCEA has re-registered as the bargaining agent for another year, and petitions submitted to the Public Employees Relations Commission have been deemed sufficient to trigger another set of elections to protect the collective bargaining rights of educators in Citrus County. While CCEA prepares for its 2025 certification elections, it is worth noting that many FEA locals across the state have not yet had their 2024 elections. As such, it is uncertain how long CCEA members will have to wait for the announcement of 2025 mail ballots. CCEA leaders will provide updates as they are available and encourage members and potential members to remain vigilant in the weeks ahead.

Since passage of SB256 in 2023, the process for registration and renewal of certified bargaining agents has become more onerous for nearly all public sector unions in the state of Florida. Not only did SB256 eliminate payroll dues deduction rights for most public sector unions, but Florida law now requires that public sector unions register annually with 60% membership density or petition to be recertified as the bargaining agent through election. In the months that followed its passage, tens of thousands public employees lost their union and the protected working conditions that had been previously negotiated with their employers. For our fellow Citrus Schools employees in blue-collar support positions, the reality of what it means to lose a union is a lesson for us all. Click here to read about the impact felt by our coworkers and learn about their effort to win back a contract and a union.

CALL FOR SELF-NOMINATIONS for

CCEA LEADERSHIP ROLES

OPENS ON February 6th

CLOSES ON February 20th

CLICK HERE for 2025-26 Self-nomination Form

INVERNESS, FL -- Sept 3, 2024

Only one week after successfully concluding the second of our two PERC unit certification elections, CCEA and CCSD wrapped up contract negotiations for the 2024-2025 school year, paving the way for ratification voting and the possibility of retro checks in the month of October for Support members!  Talks began early in 2024 with the compensation subcommittee meeting over the course of several months to knit together the fabric of a mutual proposal which would lead to a final settlement averaging just over 6% for Classified & Professional Technical Support and offering recognition of teaching experience for instructional staff for the first time since the Teacher Salary Increase Allocation (TSIA) was introduced.

Beyond salary improvements, this year's agreements secure improvement in the payout of terminal leave, define progressive discipline under just cause, and increase Board contributions to health insurance to ensure that more of the negotiated raises remain in employee's pockets. All tentative agreements are shared on the Collaborative Bargaining page and must be ratified by both the bargaining units as well as the school board in the coming days.

While both the TSIA and state mandated $15/hour minimum wage created considerable wage compression in both units, diminishing the value of experience in employee compensation, this year's agreement is an affirmation that experience does matter.

The employees of the CCEA Classified & Professional Technical unit have petitioned the FL Public Employees Relations Commission (PERC) for an election in order to preserve our contract and maintain our collective bargaining rights.

On July 23rd, PERC mailed ballots to the home mailboxes of ALL support employees. Individuals who are exempt from public record will have their ballots delivered to their worksite by district staff. If you do not receive a ballot like the one pictured below by August 12th, please reach out so that we may assist you in securing a replacement ballot.

We know that the timing of this election could be challenging with all the back-to-school activities and work required of us, but the return of ballots is time-sensitive, so please be on the lookout for yours.

Remember that without CCEA, the contract which provides guaranteed protections for our working conditions (including: seniority, duty-free lunches, terminal leave pay, and supplemental pay) is unenforceable. YOUR YES for CCEA in this election protects our contract and our right to bargain improved working conditions.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out. Or if you are ready to become an active member of CCEA, click JOIN NOW and complete the digital membership form.

Don't forget to show your commitment to protecting YOUR working conditions by changing your social media profile pic:

The employees of the CCEA Instructional unit have petitioned the FL Public Employees Relations Commission (PERC) for an election in order to preserve our contract and maintain our collective bargaining rights.

The week of May 20th, PERC will be mailing ballots to the home mailboxes of ALL instructional employees. Individuals who are exempt from public record will have their ballots delivered to their worksite by district staff. If you do not receive a ballot like the one pictured below by May 29th, please reach out so that we may assist you in securing a replacement ballot.

We know that the timing of this election could be challenging with all the end-of-year activities and work required of us, but the return of ballots is time-sensitive, so please be on the lookout for yours in the coming week.

Remember that without CCEA, the contract which provides guaranteed protections for our working conditions (including: protected planning time, duty-free lunches, terminal leave pay, and supplemental pay) is unenforceable. YOUR YES for CCEA in this election protects our contract and our right to bargain improved working conditions.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out. Or if you are ready to become an active member of CCEA, click JOIN NOW and complete the digital membership form.

Don't forget to show your commitment to protecting YOUR working conditions by changing your social media profile pic:

Calling All Potential Leaders!

CCEA is now accepting self-nominations for the following leadership opportunities in our professional association:

• Secretary (1 year term)
• Middle School Director (1 year term)
• Elementary Director II (1 year term)
• Alt Schools Director (2 year term)
• Worksite Leaders (1 year term for all worksites)
• Local Delegate to FEA Delegate Assembly (Oct)
• Local Delegate to NEA Representative Assembly (July)
• State Delegate to NEA Representative Assembly (July)

Directions for submitting nominations:

1. Open, edit and save the self-nomination form

   (must use Edge or Chrome to utilize editable form)

2. Return the completed form to the HCTA Elections Committee Chair via email (heinzmanl@citrusschools.org)

If you are unable to open the form and edit it in either Edge or Chrome, please print a copy, print legibly and then scan or return a clear picture of the completed nomination form to heinzmanl@citrusschools.org.

All nominations must be received by no later than 5:00pm on Friday, February 23rd. Please be sure to check your personal email for confirmation of receipt of your nomination.

Inverness, FL (July 8, 2023) --The elimination of payroll dues deductions for most public sector unions in Florida went into effect on July 1st when provisions of SB 256 became law. Like so many of our union colleagues around the state, CCEA members are declaring 'I'm sticking with my union' by making the move to eDues, CCEA's preferred method of dues payment. Prior to the end of the 2022-23 school year, the majority of CCEA members had already made the switch, and throughout the summer we're organizing to bring the rest on board!

 eDues is safe and secure.  Utilizing Plaid (an industry

Negotiations for the 2021-22 contract year have been extremely productive and we will be moving tentative agreements to a ratification vote in the month of November. Every instructional staff member and every classified and professional technical support employee will be able to weigh in on the proposed changes and improvements to the contract, so take a moment to review the Tentative Agreements carefully...

Click here to review this year's tentative agreements!

Your working conditions ARE student learning conditions. That's #WhyWeUnion

Click here to join CCEA and help us advocate for our students, our schools, and our profession! 

Join CCEA during our Fall Membership Campaign and you'll receive a $50 new member rebate!

Throughout CCEA's Labor History Week (8/30-9/5), we posted a daily trivia question. Each correct answer was an entry into our Labor Day Prize Giveaway raffle. Prize winners are: Donald Whitaker, Brian Sullivan, and Jennifer Clark!  E-gift cards are on their way!!!

CCEA's Labor History Trivia Challenge ANSWERS:

As you know, the state budget that was recently passed includes an allocation of around $215 million, to provide full-time classroom teachers and principals with a $1,000 bonus, using funds from the American Relief Plan.

More recently, as details regarding the distribution of bonuses began to emerge, larger questions loom regarding whether the bonuses - now identified as 'relief payments' - will be paid.

For too many of our colleagues, a ‘thanks for a job well-done’ bonus after the stress and uncertainty of working through the pandemic may not materialize at all. As was true with Best and Brightest bonuses, the non-classroom teachers (school counselors, psychologists, media specialists, etc.) and our essential support staff will not qualify for these bonuses from the state.

CCEA brought the topic of bonuses to the bargaining table in April hoping to secure an early commitment from the District to provide matching bonuses for instructional and support personnel left out of the state bonus. We know that every employee working in Citrus schools through the past year helped to ensure our students were safe and that learning continued. It is our position that as federal COVID relief funds make their way into the District, nonrecurring dollars will be available to cover the cost of one-time bonuses. We await a response from the District.

Beyond knowing who will be receiving bonuses and when, we know that you have questions about these bonuses. It remains unclear whether bonuses will be paid to individuals who retired or separated from employment during or after the 2020-21 school year. It is also not yet known whether bonus checks will be issued directly from the state, or if the District will be tasked with distribution of funds. What we know is true of bonuses (generally speaking):

• Bonuses are taxable at a higher rate than regular income.
• The recipient will be responsible for taxes on the bonus.
• Bonuses do NOT count toward retirement under FRS. 

We encourage you to follow the progress of negotiations online and look for additional updates from CCEA in the weeks ahead.

RESOURCES:

CCEA and District bargaining sessions are livestreamed through the Citrus Schools’ YouTube channel and recordings of all prior sessions are accessible for review.

FEA has added a list of FAQs on their website. The page will be updated as more information is made available.