UPDATE: Received an e-mail from Madam CAT President De De O'Shea confirming that the Cairo Board of Education approved the MOU extending the current BOE-CAT Collective Bargaining Agreement (i.e. 'Contract') for one additional year.

The membership of the Cairo Association of Teachers will have to also approve the MOU for it to be official. Due to logistics (that teachers are on vacation and scattered here, there, and everywhere) the vote to ratify will take place in August when school resumes.

Having been involved in negotiations during good times and bad times, I would venture the opinion that due to the uncertainty that the District and the entire City of Cairo finds itself because of the HUD ordered closing of the McBride and Elmwood housing projects that the extension of the current contract is a reasonable resolution.

Back in April, faced with the distinct possibility of a drastic reduction in student enrollment for next year, the District could have played it safe and exercised the "nuclear option" by riffing a large percentage of its faculty, with the resulting emotional consequences. To its credit, the District did not.

With the approval of this MOU, teachers would be assured of receiving their annual step raise and the continued protections afforded by the language.

In the opinion of this retired CAT and veteran negotiator, this agreement is as good as it gets.

However, in August, the CAT membership will have the final say.

CAT Tracks Editor's Note:

Due to a scheduling conflict...

...I shall not be able to attend this meeting.

However, Madam CAT President surely will...