Both employee groups have been working without a new contract since the end of the 2002-03 school year, and negotiations took a different turn with the district's financial difficulties. Staff had even taken a cut in pay. But all groups were jubilant that an agreement was reached--both contracts run through the end of this school year--and are continuing negotiations with an eye toward a multi-year contract to be put in place by the time those contracts expire.

"This has been an incredible pleasure," said Polly Bove, deputy superintendent and the district's chief negotiator. "This has really been about how we are going to make this district better."

Negotiations for this contract began about two years ago, and took a while to resolve because of the district's financial troubles. "There's been so much uncertainty that we didn't feel it was prudent [to make a final decision]," said Tom Avvakumovits, president of the Fremont Education Association and a teacher at Cupertino High School. "We were taking it one day at a time."

All employee groups took a 4.9 percent pay cut this year--allowed under the previous contract, which stayed in place until the new one was approved--and the new agreements for teachers and classified employees clarify the conditions under which similar pay cuts could be made in the future. The contracts also include stipulations that pay be restored for the 2005-2006 school year.

The new teacher contract also adjusts the roles of guidance and resource teachers and benefits for retired teachers. The classified employee contracts reflect changes in medical coverage and other salary rates outside of the rollbacks. Much of the language was updated by Monta Vista teacher and former attorney Jon Stark to better reflect current law.

Ray Ramsey, chairman of the CSEA negotiating team, referred to the altered text as "legacy language." The two employee groups worked closely together with the district and even share the same language in their respective sections on the salary rollbacks.