Six months after the May 8 Action Day for Schools, teachers in the Wiseburn Faculty Association in Southern California were on the streets demanding their promised salary increase.
About 65 of the 90 chapter members donned black attire and marched in front of district headquarters in Hawthorne.
"It was really effective and so symbolic," says WFA President Patricia Mothner. "Here we were on the anniversary of a big success that brought a lot of money for teachers in this state. We put in our proposals and, six months later, we haven't seen any of it."
WFA President Pat Mothner addresses chapter members who marched to the school board meeting.
Teachers are asking for a 12 percent raise while the district has offered nothing.
"The district is claiming money was needed to balance the budget, and it doesn't have enough left to increase salaries. We now have among the lowest salaries in our area. Almost all the neighboring districts have settled," says Mothner.
About 75 chapter members attended the school board meeting to decry the lack of respect being demonstrated.
"We let them know we care about students, we care about our schools, we care about our profession, and we care about our salaries," says Mothner.
Meanwhile, double-digit salaries increases continue to pour in around the state. As of November, 110 out of 180 districts that had reported settlements received raises over 10 percent. Another 24 settlements are in the 9 percent range with benefit improvements that make the total percentage increase over 10 percent.
CTA bargaining specialists acknowledge that while many local associations are settling with double-digit gains, other chapters are facing mean-spirited administrators and boards of education that are crying poor. In nine out of 10 districts, there is enough new money for at least a 10 percent raise as well as benefit improvements, says CTA bargaining specialist Carolyn DeBrower.
"Giving a 10 percent raise will not cause the district to forego program improvements," she says. "The rule of thumb is that a 1 percent Base Revenue Limit increase will fund a 2 percent salary schedule increase. When you settle for a raise that equals the increase given by the state, it only takes half of the district's new Base Revenue Limit income."
Despite the best advice of CTA, trouble spots remain.
In the San Francisco Bay Area, the San Mateo-Foster City school district has reached a stalemate and called in a state mediator. The San Mateo Teachers Association is demanding a 10.3 percent raise while the district is offering 3.5 percent on top of the 3 percent it already offered.
In Southern California, the Beverly Hills Education Association has declared impasse. Teachers have asked for an 11 percent salary increase while the district is offering what amounts to a 4 percent increase, according to BHEA President Steve Taylor.
Beverly Hills teachers are especially upset that comparable districts have already negotiated double-digit increases. "This is an insult to our teachers to see everyone else embracing the use of the extra money for teachers' salaries, and to have our district claim it's for deficit reduction," says Taylor.
Teachers have descended on school board meetings and are setting up an organizing plan.
Many in the district are still bitter about the last time Beverly Hills had a strike (1989), says Taylor. "There are a lot of wounds here that are still festering."
Pasadena is also at impasse. Teachers have demanded a 14.37 percent increase while the district has offered 8 percent, according to United Teachers of Pasadena President Gloria Arnold.
"Teachers here feel very strongly that this is money CTA lobbied hard for and it should be forthcoming," she says. Teachers received a raise of only 3.5 percent last year.
The chapter includes many young teachers who are feeling militant about getting an increase. Their protests at school board meetings have been punctuated by drumming and chants.
"There's been a lot of energy shown by these young people. They feel very unified in their common cause."
Dale Martin
