Back in 2023, staff and teachers at BASIS Tucson North formed a union. Recently they agreed on a contract with the school’s management.
“It was really a question of having our voices heard,” fifth grade geography teacher Brean Marinaccio said.
Marinaccio is also a part of the AFT Local 6627, Arizona Alliance of Charter Teachers and Staff. She worked on the bargaining agreement the union has with the school’s management.
Recently U.S. News and World Report named their North location the best public high school in the U.S.
“We just realized it could be a lot better since we all wanted similar outcomes,” Marinaccio said.
Before unionizing she said they didn’t have any paid time off and were incentivized to not take days off.
“It just becomes this ripple effect of everyone is tired and burnt out and exhausted, so we really need to find a way to put an end to that,” she said.
However, the union recently bargained for that and now she said they get ten days off that rolls over into the next year if they don’t use them.
“It just takes again a lot of stress off of our backs knowing that if I am sick, I can actually stay home and not get the other kids sick,” sixth grade English teacher Christopher Martinez said.
The union, Martinez said, helped to get rid of a mandatory over 40 hour work week. BASIS Ed said they have strived to prioritize balanced schedules.
“I struggle a lot with anxiety and not having enough time to feel like I have created a good enough lesson plan or anything, it really takes a toll on me,” Martinez said.
The over 40 hour work week, Marinaccio said, made flexible scheduling and off-campus planning tough.
“Part of the BASIS model that I’ve always really loved is that they did put a lot of trust in their teachers,” she said.
The teachers said they’re still fighting for a substantial year to year raise.
“I’m just paying for the bare minimum kind of things. It’s a little bit frustrating,” Martinez mentioned.
BASIS Ed said they consistently review and enhance benefits. They also said their finances are transparent through the Arizona Department of Education.
However, teachers said contacting administrators based in Scottsdale is hard.
“I just want to make sure that myself and other people feel like they can continue to be here,” Martinez said.
BASIS Ed's full statement can be seen below:
BASIS Ed respects the rights of every employee to unionize, or not to unionize, and we remain committed to maintaining a collaborative workplace focused on student success. The collective bargaining agreement between BASIS Ed and the Arizona Alliance of Charter Teachers (AZ-ACTS), which represents the subject expert teachers and teaching fellows at BASIS Tucson North, was ratified earlier this month. The agreement largely reflects the same long-standing standard operational practices, commitment to academic excellence, and compensation and raise structure that existed at the school. While we cannot speak to the schedules or experiences of unnamed teachers, we have consistently strived over the years to prioritize balanced schedules for all staff and salaried employees, despite incredibly challenging education budget conditions in Arizona. Our leadership has made themselves available to employees who have questions, concerns, or ideas. As part of our ongoing commitment to supporting employees, BASIS Ed consistently reviews and enhances benefits, including Paid Time Off. An increase to PTO was one of several positive adjustments BASIS Ed made before there was a union at BASIS Tucson North. BASIS Tucson North, like all BASIS Charter Schools campuses, is a separate local educational agency, and school budgets are publicly available through the Arizona Department of Education, ensuring transparency and accountability. BASIS Ed has a documented history of managing schools that achieve unparalleled success and intend to maintain the same academic outcomes going forward.
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Andrew Christiansen is a reporter for KGUN 9. Before joining the team, Andrew reported in Corpus Christi, Texas for KRIS6 News, Action 10 News and guest reported in Spanish for Telemundo Corpus Christi. Share your story ideas with Andrew by emailing andrew.christiansen@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, or Twitter.
