Following almost a year of contentious and prolonged negotiating sessions, the San Juan Teachers Association in Sacramento County reached a settlement with the district that provides teachers with a 4.25 percent salary increase.
The settlement was achieved after numerous activities on the part of the 2,700-member association, which included a letter-writing campaign, a work-to-contract action, and an “Accountability Session” in which 350 teachers attended a board of trustees meeting in May to protest the lack of progress in negotiations. The settlement was finally reached during mediation in the first week of June and is retroactive to July 1, 2007.
“This settlement is a credit to the resolve of our members,” says Steve Duditch, president of the San Juan Teachers Association. “They were willing to do what it takes go get a contract.”
At the same time, Duditch notes, a big break came following the May Revision, which increased the amount of new revenues to the district. That, coupled with the district’s $50 million unrestricted funding reserve, made it difficult for the district to drag its feet any further in negotiations.
Although Duditch is hopeful that the appointment of a new superintendent will facilitate the improvement of the collective bargaining relationship, the San Juan Teachers Association plans to move ahead with its campaign to change the way business is conducted in the district. He observes the district has been on a financial roller coaster ride over the past few years, which nearly caused it to go into receivership one year and produced a salary freeze another. The association has made a case that the continuous financial turmoil has been a result of misdirected budget priorities that ignore the importance of employees.
“We need to find a more sustainable financial system for this district that is not so dependent on the state. The priorities of this district must be its students and its teachers, and that must be reflected in the budget process,” Duditch says.
Dina Martin
