Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/297225
Bargaining Advocacy San Bruno educators win back school days San Bruno Park School District educators won back five school days after a March 12 board meeting protest. The district has $5 million in reserves. Restoring the five days costs only $250,000 and relieves a needless financial burden for educators, who agreed last year to take five unpaid furlough days, says Julia Maynard, San Bruno Education Association president. Three school days will be added to the end of the current school year, along with two professional development days. Next year there will be 180 school days and three additional paid professional development days. Mt. Diablo teachers reach historic agreement After 15 years of having health care benefit dollars on the salary schedule, Mt. Diablo Education Association members won a three-year contract that phases in off-schedule benefits compensation, while boosting salaries by 9 percent. "Some teachers became very emotional when told they would no lon- ger have to pay thousands of dollars per year," says MDEA President Guy Moore. Teachers were paying up to $1,900 per month for family health care coverage. Bargaining updates See details of these stories at cta.org/ bargainingupdates. Compiled by Mike Myslinski Support from coalitions with labor groups and community members helped forge the settlement, says Moore. Financial support from CTA included two chap- ter crisis grants. Long struggle pays off for Yuba City teachers After almost three years of contentious bargaining, Yuba City Teachers Association members reached a contract agreement that provides a 5 percent increase retroactive to July 2013 plus another 2 percent, for a total increase of 7 percent in 2013-14. Teachers will receive an addi- tional 3 percent raise next year. "Attracting and retaining the best teachers for our children is a community issue, and that's been our focus," says YCTA President Dina Luetgens. The agreement allows the teachers and the district to collaborate on implementing the Local Control Fund- ing Formula and begin negotiating the Local Control Accountability Plan. Bellflower Teachers Association members stand together in protest of seven years without a salary increase. Showing solidarity, Sweetwater Education Association members vote to strike if necessary. 36 A P R I L 2 0 1 4 Educator 04 Apr 2014 v2.3 int.indd 36 4/15/14 12:04 AM