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| Rio Teachers Association members march through the streets with the support of community members. |
By Frank Wells
At 4:00 a.m. on May 16, the Rio Teachers Association and the Rio School District reached tentative agreement on a multiyear contract, ending a long and bitter stalemate that had the Oxnard area teachers headed for a possible strike in the fall. The two sides had been at impasse since February 2007.
The deal came during an all-night session ending four days of presentations in state factfinding — after previous state efforts to mediate the situation had failed. Despite their clear ability to pay, for months the district had refused to move beyond an offer that would drag Rio salaries even further below comparable surrounding districts.
Tensions ran high and morale was low. Following what they viewed as retaliatory actions against union leadership and several roadblocks to the negotiations process, RTA filed unfair labor practice charges against the district and members took a vote of no confidence in the superintendent.
RTA members had shown solidarity for months, with huge participation in protests and strong attendance at school board meetings.
In recent weeks community support had continued to grow, culminating in a massive Mother’s Day weekend “Madres para Maestros” walk and rally where CTA Vice President Dean Vogel spoke and promised ongoing CTA support.
Local labor organizations had also come on board, with SEIU, CSEA, UFW and CFT members among those offering support to the Rio teachers.
“The great community support really pushed things forward at the end, and we couldn’t have done it without them,” said RTA president Rebecca Barbetti. “But it was also the long, hard and outstanding work of our RTA crisis team, our rank and file members, and our ongoing support from CTA that got us to this point.”
The agreement guarantees RTA members salary increases and fully funded health benefits through the 2010-11 school years. Additionally, over 20 take-back proposals by the District were dropped.
Barbetti believes the grueling effort has paid off for the union as well as its members.
“We’re a stronger local now. We’ve gone from a handful of dedicated activists to a really engaged membership. I think that bodes well for the future.”
