Ithaca TA turning the tables with open bargaining
hile preparing for their first contract negotiation since 2019, members of the Ithaca Teachers Association decided it was time to take a risk.
“There was a push within our internal union structure for more transparency, a more democratic process, more involvement from rank-and-file members and just more action,” said Ithaca TA President Kathryn Cernera.
A lot had changed since their previous agreement was ratified: a global pandemic transformed the future of education; Cernera took over as president; and tension between the community and school district reached a boiling point as voters came out in droves to reject the 2024–25 budget, raising concerns over lack of communication, accountability and fiscal responsibility.
But long before last year’s budget was voted down, the wheels of change were in motion.
When Cernera held her first all-member meeting as president in August 2023, ITA voted to prioritize their “Build a Better Contract” campaign, which emphasizes increasing member engagement and democratic decision making.
Through this method, Cernera says the contract stewards were able to engage more than half of the local’s membership in just six months. The negotiating team then built a priority survey that received participation from 450 members.
“We turned those priorities into 65 proposals, and every single one of our members had the opportunity to vote on whether or not these were impasse-worthy issues,” Cernera explained. “Ultimately we ended up bringing 57 proposals to the bargaining table.”
ITA also held monthly all-member meetings to discuss their progress and next steps.
“That ability to be heard and to have a voice in the process is so different than what people have been used to,” said Aurora Rojer, Ithaca TA secretary and lead organizer.
Negotiations are now well underway, and Cernera is continuing to lead with transparency through open bargaining sessions that are publicly viewable. Meetings are held in an auditorium, and all district employees and school board members are welcome to attend. They are also livestreamed and can be viewed on the district’s YouTube channel.
“These don’t have to be smoke-filled, back-room meetings,” explained Cernera. “Through our conversations with members, we learned that they don’t want to learn the details of their new contract at the ratification vote. We need to be engaging and informing members every step of the way.”
Rojer added, “It feels very out in the open in the way that it should be, because this is a community issue, not just an educator issue.”
Rojer and Cernera say the inspiration for attempting this open bargaining style stems from a few sources including the Chicago Teachers Union; labor organizer and author Jane McAlevey; and hearing from Massachusetts educators at a recent labor conference.
Cernera also credits her NYSUT labor relations specialist Tammy Romania for unwavering support in what is a largely unprecedented tactic in New York state.
“It was a huge risk for her, and I know it made her nervous when we first started talking about it,” Cernera recalled. “But she told us, ‘I work for you, so if we’re doing this, we’re doing it together.’ And she did all her research and homework and went above and beyond with my team to find out how we could do this and do it well. She really trusted us on this.”
Romania admits that style of bargaining was new to her. But, she said, “knowing Kathryn and her team, it was easy to jump on board. The team is committed to breaking down undemocratic structures and replacing them with worker-focused systems that truly allow every member a voice. … Many hands and heads have helped us, and I would not be able to do this without my colleagues in NYSUT’s Elmira office, Mike Johnson, Matt Hill and Deb Lloyd-Priest, as well as Tim Miller from NYSUT’s Research and Educational Services department. It truly is a team effort!”
As negotiations carry on, ITA continues to post regular updates on their social media channels, and members are wearing blue on Thursdays to show their solidarity.
“A lot of people used to feel like the union was something that they fundamentally had no role in and didn’t really serve them personally,” said Rojer. “Our goal was to get them to know they are all part of this. We are all fighting together, and we’ve made some really great strides.”
Cernera added, “I get emails daily from veteran members saying they’ve never felt so heard. Newer members are asking building reps, ‘how do I do more and be more involved?’ I believe so much in the power of organized labor; when we fight together, we win.”