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Teacher contract negotiations heat up
By MICHELLE KU
Members of the Cupertino Education Association sent the Cupertino Union School District board a powerful message on Feb. 23 when more than 250 teachers lined the hallway, crowded the doors and packed the room.
The delegation from CEA, the teacher's union, made a presentation regarding the district's proposed 3.55 percent salary increase during contract negotiations. Teachers in the district have worked since June without a contract, when their previous three-year contract expired.
CEA teachers, who are asking for a 7.2 percent raise, believe the district's offer is unacceptable. On Feb. 22, the CEA Representative Assembly unanimously agreed to reject the district's proposed 3.55 percent salary increase, said Steve Trinwith, president of CEA.
"It is our belief that the district has the ability to compensate teachers at a rate equal to their worth and value," Trinwith said. "CEA recognizes that our district must remain financially sound. We would not be asking for more than 3.55 percent if we saw that the district was not able to provide for that amount."
Negotiations between the CEA and the district started in September and have resulted in 44 tentative agreements on minor issues, said Pat DeMarlo, assistant superintendent of human resources.
Of the 38 items left to resolve, several of them revolve around money. At the last bargaining table session on Feb. 11, both sides reached an impasse regarding the salary increase.
"Both parties agreed it served no purpose to continue the discussion," Trinwith said.
The groups aren't scheduled to meet again until March 11, in a session with a state mediator.
"I think that both sides felt that maybe a mediator will come in to help see what's important and what's not," DeMarlo said.
In its presentation, the CEA outlined the line items where it sees funds available in the district's budget.
The district has $2.4 million in reserve that was not spent last year, said Lew Green, CEA treasurer and bargaining team member.
Of the money allocated for teacher salaries last year, the district didn't spend it all and had a surplus of $735,000. Also, this year's district budget is 11.85 percent higher than last year's.
"If the district brought the amounts down to what has been spent in the past, it frees up more money," Green said. "The numbers allocate for a 6.1 percent salary increase."
The board meeting was the first time the district has seen CEA's breakdown of the budget. "[At the bargaining table] we asked CEA where they think the money is and they have indicated that. Now, we are going to go back and double check it," DeMarlo said.
Teacher salaries now account for 67 percent of the total district budget. "A 1 percent raise for all employees is $556,000," DeMarlo said. "Those aren't easy dollars to come up with."
The district reached its proposed 3.55 percent salary increase by equaling the two cost-of-living increase figures from the state's budget.
CEA representatives said if the district does not remain competitive with its salary scales, teachers will leave for other districts.
Some teachers have already left the district because of salary, Trinwith said. "It's a teacher's market," he said. "Teachers can go to any district, and they don't have to stay in one district anymore. Why would a teacher come here if they can go to another school district with a better deal?"
The cost of living in the area is high because of the quality and reputation of Cupertino's education, but if teacher salaries do not rise to compensate for that, then-Cupertino will no longer attract high quality teachers.
"Average teacher wages will ultimately lead to an average education for the students, and I don't believe that this community will settle for average," Trinwith said. "Our children deserve the best."
School board President Barry Chang responded to the presentation with some encouraging words for CEA. "The board does care about the teachers," Chang said. "Just a couple of minutes ago, during closed session, we asked [DeMarlo], our money person, to come up with money."
Although it was a non-agenda item, CEA felt it was important for the union to inform the board about its stance on the issue.
"We deliver our message from the association to the board's representatives at the bargaining table and they take back to the board our information, but sometimes we don't get that face-to-face message with the board members," said Jeff Warner, chair of the CEA bargaining team.
Pay for teachers is only one of the issues the district and CEA have to resolve. Allocation of more preparation time for fourth, fifth and sixth grade teachers, pay and time for adjunct duty, class size in the upper grade levels, changes to the junior high-school schedule and the role of the faculty advisory committee have to be settled as well.
"Moving your salary proposal higher would send a powerful, but concrete message to the teachers that you really do value their contribution to this district, " Trinwith said.
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Cupertino, California Since 1947
