UPDATE: 5:13 p.m., April 5, 2018:
The San Diego Unified School District and its teachers union struck a late night deal this week after a year of bargaining, but the teachers' union is still going ahead with town hall meetings meant to pressure the district. Some were held Wednesday and Thursday and two more are scheduled Monday at Spreckels and Zamorano Elementary schools.
Baker Elementary teacher Sara Holerud was on the team that negotiated with the district and said the goal of the meetings is to remind administrators there is still work to be done, even with a contract.
"It was long overdue that we came to an agreement and we just want to make sure that doesn’t happen again in the future," she said. "We also want to work together with the school district to solve the problem of students leaving our school district."
Enrollment decline has led to budget cuts in recent years. Other employee groups are still facing salary cuts and layoffs.
Original story:
San Diego Unified School District teachers will receive a 2 percent raise and paid maternity leave under a tentative contract agreement reached Wednesday.
The district and the San Diego Education Association reached the agreement at 1:40 a.m. after a 16-hour bargaining session that culminated a year of negotiations. The agreement must be ratified by union members and the San Diego school board in order to take effect.
"We worked diligently with our partners at the San Diego Education Association to reach an agreement that will support the success of all our students," said Superintendent Cindy Marten. "This agreement will help compensate our teachers for their hard work, while also helping the district attract and retain new educators."
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The three-year agreement calls for a 2 percent raise for the 2018-19 school year. Union employees would also be given a one-time payment equivalent to 1 percent of their salary in August as part of a settlement for outstanding grievances.
Paid maternity leave would be provided for workers who have been with the district for at least one year.
"Our San Diego Unified educators are worthy of fair and competitive salaries, and for the first time will be eligible for paid maternity leave," union President Lindsay Burningham said. "It is the hard work of our educators that has contributed to record graduation rates and student success in the San Diego Unified School District."
According to a union statement, the tentative contract provides "three weeks of paid maternity leave, making us one of only three districts in the county to have it." The education association also counts as victories the preservation of fully paid family health care for three years and tentative agreements that would improve class size.
