Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1419056
Bargaining Roundup Compiled by Julian Peeples BURLINGAME: Organizing to fight for fair contract Burlingame Education Association members have held rallies, letter- writing campaigns, and even an online petition to urge Burlingame School District to utilize its robust reserves to provide a living wage to educators. BEA recently filed with the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) to move into fact-finding in an attempt to reach a fair agreement. The most recent budget figures show that the district is holding more than 28 percent of its budget in reserve, while only offering a 1 percent raise to the educators who went above and beyond to support students over the past two years. BEA leaders say educators willingly took no salary increase in 2019-20 due to the district's financial health, but now, with resources available, the district should make a fair offer including a living wage that is comparable to that of educators in nearby school districts in the Bay Area. "We now have proof that disputes the unfounded tale of economic doom and shows that the school board simply would rather save more than 1-in-4 dollars of their budget than use the money for its intended purpose — to educate children," says BEA President Brian McManus. TWIN HILLS: Strike averted as educators win pay hike After nearly a year of unsuccessful negotiations that led to the setting of a strike date, Twin Hills Teachers Association finally forced the district to make a fair offer — winning a 6 percent on-schedule pay increase over two years. THTA (based in Sonoma County, one of the least affordable counties in the nation for educators) also won a 2 percent bonus for 2020-21 and increases to the district's health care contribution. THTA members now turn their attention to the next bargaining, which will begin in January. OLD ADOBE: Better wages and benefits Old Adobe Teachers Association members in Petaluma will see more than 12 percent in pay increases over two years, hav- ing won a 7 percent raise in 2021-22 and 5 percent in 2022-23. OATA also won an increase in the district's health care contribution from $10,020 to $15,914, as well as the elimination of a cap on years of experience. 35 O C T O B E R / N O V E M B E R 2 0 21 A