Building on the momentum from its recent candlelight rally of more than 1,000 teachers, the Fresno Teachers Association is keeping up the pressure for a 3.98 percent raise.
At press time in mid-January, the Fresno Unified School District was still only offering the 4,300 members of FTA a one-time bonus of 1 percent. Both sides were still in bargaining talks, with teachers angry that the district was still reneging on the 3.98 percent raise that had already been negotiated three years ago.
More than 1,000 Fresno teachers participated in a candlelight rally to protest the district's attempt to break an agreement.
"Our superintendent believes in building a bureaucracy, not in building the education program," says FTA President Larry Moore. "We plan to take our fight for respect into the community to gain even more support and put pressure on the district and school board."
The school district is the fourth-largest in the state with 80,000 students. Its contract battle with teachers is being watched around the state, as is the opposition from Superintendent Santiago Wood.
Moore said the huge success of the Dec. 12 FTA candlelight rally at district headquarters sent a strong message to the district, which Moore says tried to discourage teachers from attending.
"They escalated their rhetoric. They made a definite effort to discourage people. It backfired."
Instead, hundreds of Fresno teachers showed up at the rally to carry candles, sing, chant, and ring the district office with protest signs as the sun was going down.
"What these teachers were doing was standing up for the profession," Moore says. "It was a super rally. It really made a statement."
FTA members launched their "Honor Your Word" campaign against the superintendent and school board in November with a two-week media ad blitz. Prime-time radio and television spots rallied public sentiment against the district.
"Three years ago the Fresno school board made a promise to us," a woman's voice says in the television spot. "Now they want to go back on their word. Call the school board today. Tell them to give teachers the salaries they promised. Tell them to honor their word."
The district claims it can't afford to fund the 3.98 percent raise, despite receiving that amount from the state as cost-of-living adjustment funding - and despite adding more than 2,000 students this school year. That growth generated millions of dollars in new funding from the state.
"Teachers are still not the priority with this district," Moore says. "We are fighting to get teachers the respect they deserve."
Mike Myslinski