By Mike Myslinski
The biggest cost-of-living increase in public education funds in a decade has brought unprecedented opportunities at the bargaining table this fall.
The 6 percent increase in available funds — part of the additional $2 billion in ongoing money that CTA won for schools in this year’s state budget for education — has made it possible for chapters to negotiate reductions in class size and win salary and health benefit increases necessary to recruit and retain educators.
Two-thirds of the approximately 150 chapters that settled contracts for this school year have won solid raises in the 4 to 7 percent range, while about 16 chapters have negotiated increases higher than 7 percent.
Approximately 30 CTA chapters, however, are heading for showdowns in areas where districts are reluctant to share the money that’s intended for salaries and benefits. They were at impasse or worse as of early December.
“The bargaining table is where school districts sometimes have to be strongly reminded that investing in teachers pays off for our students and communities,” says CTA President Barbara E. Kerr. “Our union is only as strong as our local chapters, and they are showing the power of solidarity in these recent victories — and in their willingness to fight for what really matters.”
In several cases, students are benefiting from more one-on-one instruction in smaller classes because teachers gave up salary increases to fund fewer students per classroom. These wins are affecting grades beyond K-3. The lower grades already fall under the state’s class size reduction program mandate of a 20-student maximum.
In Santa Barbara County, Goleta Union School District teachers negotiated language requiring the district to maintain an average class size of 24 students in grades 4-6. Last year, teachers gave up 3 percent in salary hikes to support smaller classes in these grades, says Jennifer Adams, negotiations chair for the United Teaching Profession-Goleta chapter.
“Teachers have been talking about wanting smaller classes for years. And the school board was very open to having class size lowered in these grades.”
Teachers also won a 6.75 percent salary increase for this year.
In Santa Cruz County, the 180-member San Lorenzo Valley Teachers Association agreed to forgo a 1.7 percent salary increase in return for a decrease in class sizes. “Teachers know it really makes a difference to have smaller classes and were willing to agree to these terms,” says SLVTA President Dan Richey.
In addition, quirky contract language that required teachers to work 51 years to reach top pay levels was revised down to 32 years. Salary restructuring will provide raises of 2 percent to 9.25 percent, depending on experience.
Recognizing that class size is a huge issue in summer school as well, the Torrance Teachers Association negotiated some relief. The new contract, which provides a 6.5 percent salary increase across the board, commits the district to “make every effort” to keep summer school class sizes at 29 students per class, compared to the 35 students per class this past summer.
In the high-achieving Palo Alto Unified School District, teachers already have strong class size contract language providing student-teacher ratios of 20:1 in grades 4-5 and 24:1 in sixth grade. What the district needs is a way to hold on to educators who can’t afford to live there, says Palo Alto Educators Association President Steve Sabbag. Modest houses easily top $1 million.
The new contract provides fully paid health benefits and raises salaries 5 percent to about $100,000 this year for teachers with a master’s degree and 30 years in the classroom, and nearly $49,000 for beginning educators.
“You want to recruit and retain the best teachers possible,” says Sabbag. “You can’t do that unless the money is there.”
The Santa Monica-Malibu Classroom Teachers Association won a 5 percent salary increase and health benefit improvements, but also made significant progress in compressing the time it takes educators to reach the top pay levels. The salary schedule was compressed from 27 to 24 years retroactive to July 1 of this year. Next July, it goes to 21 years.
In the high-cost area served by this school district, teachers must have a fair shot at reaching higher pay scales sooner or they will leave, says chapter President Harry Keiley.
“Many of our teachers can’t afford to rent an apartment in our area. The compression of salaries here is long overdue. School districts must offer competitive compensation packages to stop turnover. It’s in their best interest to do this.”
Many Southern California chapters made significant gains at the table.
Thanks to perseverance by the Santa Ana Educators Association in Orange County, teachers in Santa Ana Unified will receive a 13.44 percent salary increase. The district finally agreed to make up for salary cuts and freezes over the last three years.
In San Diego County, mobilizing the community made a difference in settling a new contract for members of the Southwest Teachers Association after more than a year of contentious negotiations. Over the last three years, teachers in the South Bay Union School District had averaged a 1 percent salary increase. The new contract includes good salary increases and no takebacks in health benefits, says baragaining team member and former SWTA President Frank Cherry.
“There was good support from the community. They marched with us and spoke up at school board meetings. It made a difference.”
Teachers there won a 9 percent salary hike for this school year, and a 2 percent one-time bonus for last year.
Meanwhile, conflict is continuing in some school districts.
In San Bernardino County, members of Associated Chino Teachers supported their recent successful bargaining fight by putting signs in their cars when they were in the school parking lot, an action protected by law. Principals notified teachers they would face disciplinary action if they did not immediately remove the signs or move their cars off campus.
The school district backed down after the chapter filed a complaint with the Public Employment Relations Board. The district agreed to rescind its sign policy.
After no raises for three years, Chino teachers recently secured a 3 percent raise retroactive to last school year, and a 3 percent hike for this year, and they hope to return to the table in December to resolve other issues, says ACT President Deborah Stevens. “It’s been difficult with our new administration. We’re banding together. We’re letting our members know that the district is still trying to ignore us.”
Teachers in the city of West Sacramento were planning mid-December protests over stalled contract talks, which have dragged on since February. Frustrated educators have already leafleted the public at supermarkets and picketed the district office.
Adding insult to injury, the Washington Unified School District is unilaterally taking $200 to $600 out of December paychecks to cover what administrators say are increased medical costs. Instead of settling with teachers, the district has proposed adding new administrative jobs, including a staff development consulting position for the mother of the superintendent.
“This is unconscionable treatment,” says Washington Teachers Association President Regina Jarrott-Briggs. “We have offered compromises in mediation and the district refused to accept them. We deserve better than this.”
