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Antonucci: Here’s the status of teacher contracts in California’s 8 largest school districts

Mike Antonucci | April 2, 2018



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Mike Antonucci’s Union Report appears weekly at LA School Report.

With teacher strike fever in the air, it is worth checking to see to what extent California will catch the bug. An examination of the state’s eight largest school districts reveals that while Los Angeles and San Diego school workers could potentially head to the picket lines, the others all look to be settled up through June 2019.

Los Angeles: The United Teachers Los Angeles contract expired last June and negotiations on a successor agreement are ongoing. The union is asking for a 6.5% pay raise. UTLA president Alex Caputo-Pearl says the union “must be strike-ready by May.”

SEIU Local 99, which represents the district’s education support employees, is also working on an expired contract. The membership is currently participating in a strike authorization vote, which the union has extended until April 13.

San Diego: The San Diego Education Association declared an impasse in negotiations with the district. The union claims the district offered no increases to the salary schedule, while the union wants a one-time payment of 2% for the current year, and a 2.5% increase for the 2018-19 school year. SDEA is threatening to strike, but the law requires completion of the mediation and fact-finding process before a work stoppage would be considered legal.

Meanwhile, the district reached a tentative agreement with the administrators’ union. The union will hold a ratification vote April 11-13.

Long Beach: Members of the Teachers Association of Long Beach just ratified a new contract that includes a 1% salary increase for the current year and a one-time payment of 1% for the 2018-19 school year.

Fresno: After threatening to strike last fall, the Fresno Teachers Association ratified a three-year deal retroactive to 2016 that included a 3.5% pay increase for last year, a 2% increase for this year, and a 1-3% increase for the 2018-19 school year, depending on contingencies.

Elk Grove: The Elk Grove Education Association reached a tentative agreement on March 22 that provides a 1.75% salary increase for the current year, and a 2.25% one-time payment for the 2018-19 school year. A ratification vote will be held April 20-30.

San Francisco: The United Educators of San Francisco ratified a three-year tentative agreement last December that guarantees an 11% raise over that term, with another 2% increase if voters pass a parcel tax in June. Employees will also receive a one-time payment of 2%, which will increase to 3% if the parcel tax passes.

Santa Ana: The Santa Ana Educators Association reach a tentative agreement that will provide a 2% increase for the current year and a 1% one-time payment for 2018-19. A ratification vote will be held sometime after spring break.

Capistrano: The Capistrano Unified Education Association ratified a new agreement in February with a 1% increase retroactive to last year, another 1% for this year, and another 1% for 2018-19 provided the governor’s budget is approved.

All told it looks as though LA and San Diego could be in for a bumpy ride this spring, but most of the rest of the state’s large cities will have labor peace through the next school year.

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