After months of bargaining that included picketing, protests and even poetry, the Selma Unified Teachers Association has negotiated a contract that includes the full health benefits they asked for from the beginning.
"We absolutely won," says an elated SUTA Vice President Jennifer Anaforian. "In the end, we walked away with a proposal we had offered back in May. It's too bad the administration had to drag it out so long, but we got what we wanted."
The 300-member chapter hung tough throughout negotiations over its demand that there be no cap placed on health benefits. Talks began last March, went to mediation at the end of June and went to factfinding shortly thereafter. In response, teachers formed a crisis committee, set up yard signs and passed out informational fliers.
"We became a unified association," says SUTA President Ed Vieira. "It was wonderful."
Although there were several contract matters at issue - like planning time for teachers - the major sticking point was health benefits. Although the district had always offered fully paid health benefits, this time it wanted to cap its contribution toward health coverage at $10,400.
Knowing that times were bad and that medical costs had gone up 19 percent from the previous contract, SUTA offered a proposal whereby members would accept co-pays, increased deductibles, higher prescription costs and changes in vision and dental plans, all of which would have reduced that increase to 7 percent. But the district turned down the offer.
Teachers maintain that negotiations were made more difficult by the retirement of two reasonable administrators who had previously bargained on behalf of the district and their subsequent replacement with a district manager who was brought in to break the association.
If anything, the teachers became more committed to their organization.
"We thought the main issue was health benefits, but it came down to a lack of respect for teachers," says Vieira.
Anaforian, who has taught in the district just four years, was drawn to Selma because it has the highest beginning salary in the area, great benefits "and a strong union." As a result, the district has maintained a highly professional workforce. Ninety-eight percent of its teachers are fully credentialed - an unusually high rate for a lower-income area. "We didn't want to lose that."
Teachers started a letter-to-the-editor campaign, began speaking up at board meetings, held coffee klatches with parents and came into their own as activists.
Students rallied around the teachers and formed a "Students for SUTA" organization that also put pressure on the administration. One student leader has since indicated interest in running for a seat on the school board.
In addition to the efforts of supportive chapter leaders, Anaforian says SUTA kept its members in the know, using its website and e-mail to communicate quickly. "The fact that teachers were kept so well informed really helped us," she says. "When things got ugly, they were ready to be organized."
Dale Martin
