The Benicia Teachers Association voted to reject the tentative agreement Wednesday that had been reached with the Benicia Unified School District, Governing Board President Diane Ferrucci announced as Thursday’s school board meeting.
In January, BUSD had proposed a one-time bonus of 1 percent off the salary schedule for the 2017-18 and 2018-19 school years. BTA countered with a 5 percent increase for 2017-18 and a 4.25 percent increase for 2018-19 school year. After being unable to reach an agreement, BTA requested to file for impasse. Teachers, students and parents voiced their disapproval at subsequent school board meetings, with some educators even providing lists of free services they would no longer offer to students outside of their contract hours unless an agreement was reached.
On May 17, a fact-finding hearing was held in which both parties presented their case to a neutral three-person panel so that a contract agreement could be reached. The meeting spilled over into the early morning hours of May 18 when a tentative agreement was reached. However, when the time came for the BTA to vote to accept the agreement on Wednesday, it was voted down.
The school board was slated to vote on ratification on the agreement at Thursday’s meeting, had it been approved. However, since it was rejected, it was pulled from the agenda.
“We’d like to thank the administrative and union leadership teams who we know worked diligently for almost 24 hours in reaching the agreement,” Ferrucci said.
During the public comment portion, Benicia High School junior Liam Madigan who has spoken on the subject at previous school board meetings expressed disappointment that negotiations had not been reached.
“Teachers impact each and every one of us, and it goes without thinking that we would do whatever we can to help those who have inspired so much in us,” he said. “This is a symptom that derives from what we feel is lack of transparency and communication with people we voted in to represent us.”
Madigan praised the union’s decision to reject the raise and asked where the money was being spent. He noted that the district was putting in more administrative positions at the District Office level.
“While it is a sound concept, it doesn’t work when we don’t have the foundation to support it,” he said. “At the high school alone, we’ve had a very high turnover rate. This isn’t a healthy or sustainable model and students, parents, teachers and staff alike have all felt the effects of it.”
Madigan encouraged the district to re-enter negotiations with an open mind.
After the meeting, BTA President Carolyn Fields said the agreement contained 10 chapters dealing with everything from hours to health and welfare benefits. The parties were able to make a compromise regarding class sizes at the high school level. However, the biggest issue for BTA members was wages.
“We’re really trying to get professional pay for what we do,” Fields said. “It’s not even really a raise in our mind, it’s the idea that we want to be paid as professionals.”
Fields felt disappointed by how long the process has taken without reasonable results.
“My main concern is that we’ve exhausted this process,” she said.
Fields said teachers are trying to avoid but is worried the district’s actions are leading them down that path. Superintendent Dr. Charles Young wrote in a post on the BUSD website that strikes cannot occur until all steps in the process have been used.
The next step is for an independent member of the fact-finding panel to complete a report in July and the parties will meet one last time to see if the provisions can for a basis for a negotiated settlement before the report is published. Nonetheless, Fields said the BTA is open to meet with the district at any time.
“Negotiations are not necessarily over,” she said. “If they have something new to offer, we are here and ready to listen.”
Young wrote that working on an agreeable settlement remains a top priority for the district.
“Please know we are committed to working with BTA in order to reach a final settlement in as timely a manner as possible,” he wrote. “The Trustees and I appreciate your patience as we work through this process and will keep you updated with any new developments.”
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A couple of comment. One, since it was so well publicized that the teachers voted 90% no confidence in the superintendent it would be interesting to know what the outcome was on this vote. Two, if I read this correctly the union has a request for a 5% raise this year and 4.25% next year. An independent mediator came up with a proposed solution both negotiating sides agreed with and it was voted down. Again, by what margin? I appreciate students like young Mr. Madigan making comments about over staffing in the district office. What I would like to hear is what positions does BTA consider to be expendable? What is the cost of those positions? And finally, if all those positions were eliminated would that in fact free up enough money to give the 5% and 4.25% raises BTA is demanding?
It appears there was an agreement on the contract. Just had to be accepted by the teachers. The Union and its members appear to not be on the same page. It also appears the 2017/18 5% is for a school year that will soon be over so it will be a lump sum payout. If I were the school board I would except both the 2017/18 and the 2018/19 with an additional 2019/20 increase of 4.5% . Lump them all together and pay it over the 2018/19 and the 2019/20 years. .That is a salary increase of 7% increase for the two years. Then add a bonus for the year 2017/18 of 1% paid out in a lump sum. Put the power back in the school districts hands and the union reps will find out that the district is working for the teachers and not against them. Threats will not solve this issue. Good tactics by the school,board will. The school board will now be trusted and the union will be just a group that is part of future issues. The school board should be the best friend the teachers have not the enemy.
This is illustrative of why professionals in most professions other than teaching do not use collective bargaining and unions. Simple supply and demand. Teachers are easily replaced since their skills as individuals cannot be recognized in the marketplace (only how long they’ve been doing it). There are lots of people eager to be teachers-even though there is a teachers shortage across the nation…mild conundrum until you consider the crux of the local teachers’ complaint…they want to be paid as professionals. I suggest to them that they dissolve the BTA. Then either offer to negotiate individually or leave to find different (non teaching) employment–but dissolve the BTA first; after all, with whom would the district negotiate if there were no BTA?
My idea is better.
What makes you think the school district is “working for the teachers and not against them.”? There’s no evidence that that is true. Sure, some board members show sympathy…but there is only so much revenue and the district seems determined to add more administration which, in my opinion, is wasteful of resources that adds to the bureaucracy of education instead of helping to educate. How many students do administrators actually teach? Zero.
My point exactly Speaker.
What is being done in Sacramento to recalculate Benicia’s per pupil spending formula? It’s been frozen since Prop 13 passed in the 70’s (if I’m not mistaken, and I’m no expert)
For the amount of property taxes we pay, the amount coming back to the district is too low.
In order for that to happen large school districts like Los Angeles would have to say they could get by with less money. The pot is only so big.
This past April there was a bill in the assembly about school funding (AB 2808). Dunno what happened to it. Funding is important, but not the sine qua non. Low teacher/student ratio in the early grades is important; as is qualified teachers as is parent advocacy of higher education for their children. But since the education bureaucracy is loathe to advocate measurable goals (especially in CA), there isn’t any scientific way to determine progress so we devolve into politics which is never satisfying. Personally, I don’t think the existing system is fixable no matter how much money you throw at it. The system has been decaying since the baby boomers graduated college-especially in CA. CA was looked at as the best schools in the late 60s and early 70s; now a lot of CA parents eschew the public schools for private education or supplement their children’s education with Kumon or Silvia since they won’t get what they need in CA schools. Granted, Benicia is a small island of continuing adequacy that is now seeing the eroding of standards because of money and bureaucracy.
“Benicia is a small island of continuing adequacy that is now seeing the eroding of standards because of money and bureaucracy.”
“Continuing adequacy” is a good description.
Personally, I liked naming what it is as “distinguished mediocrity.”
Did I read that right? The initial offer by BUSD was a one-time raise of 1%??? You’re kidding. I went to high school in the late 90s at BHS and I can say I had some of the most amazing teachers who were so instrumental in the success Ive had since graduating from high school. As a matter of fact after high school, college was easy and I went to UC Berkeley and majored in molecular and cellular biology.
I have recently moved back to Benicia my main reason for moving was what I considered the excellent school district. Since our move, I have noticed the rating of our schools going down, which is very disturbing. If we want quality education for our children we need quality teachers. I’m sure most will agree, you get what you pay for. I will be 100% behind the teachers if they strike. They are college eduatated, credentialed professionals, their salaries should reflect that. Teaching is one of the most honorable professions.
I agree. But one point, do you actually know what the BUSD salary bands are for educators? Step and column metrics?
Once we have those numbers perhaps then it would be wise to determinine if they are getting paid appropriately. We are assuming underpayment. It may very well be true. But let’s have all the facts.
I am trying to understand this issue better. You are 100% behind the teachers if they strike, but what exactly are they striking for? What was the last offer that was voted down? How have the step and column and COLA dollars been used during the last contract? I see the district is projecting an $88,000 surplus next year, so where does the money come from? And the BIG question I have is – over the life of this last contract and including this current year, how much have mandatory payments to CalSTRS risen?
Great questions John! Teacher pay is always emotional. We want teachers to be well compensated. But define well compensated.
What is the compensation now? The benefit package? Let’s be honest, the working public works 240 day years, teachers 180. We need to factor in the facts. Everyone works overtime. I’m not saying teachers aren’t compensated fairly, I’m just asking what is fair, quantitatively. If we as Benicia residents know the facts, and if we decide the salary and compensation levels are not fair, then we as Benicians can vote to raise taxes to pay for fair compensation.
We hear the emotional statements that teachers are under paid and not respected by salary levels. Show us the pay scales. Let’s be transparent and make the right decision.
Anyone that thinks teaches work 180 days a year as opposed to 240 for the average worker knows nothing about a teacher’s schedule. For one thing, I know of no teacher who does not spend a significant part of every summer working in education – mostly doing work for the coming year or paying out of pocket for the endless “classes and seminars” needed to keep credentials current.. If the number of hours that teachers work in a typical day or week is toted up, it is usually seen that they work an average of 50-60 hours a week, what with extracurricular activities, report cards (when I taught fifth grade in Vallejo, I had a class of 32 kids, with a total of over 2,000 boxes of evaluation to fill in for each of the four reporting periods. Take a guess at how many hours that would take, after the kids are dismissed?) I had less than 30 minutes for any lunch hour, usually around 20 minutes and had to do all planning and prep before or after school. So, no, teachers are not compensated equally for the number of “days” they work a year because the time is not spent in a typical 9 t0 5 schedule. In addition to that, I know of no teacher who can live as a single person, especially a single parent, on that salary alone. My husband and I never could. This, as well as the lack of professional respect, is why about 50% of our young, new and talented teachers leave within 5 years of entering the profession and approximately 40% of baby boomer and near baby boomer aged teachers are within spitting distance of retiring with no significant replacements coming out of universities. Teaching has traditionally been women’s work, which is why it has historically been disrespected and underpaid in this country, unlike Europe and Asia, where it has traditionally been a male “job.” We gets what we are willing to pay for…
“I know of no teacher who can live as a single person, especially a single parent, on that salary alone. My husband and I never could. This, as well as the lack of professional respect, is why about 50% of our young, new and talented teachers leave within 5 years of entering the profession…” True. Young teachers don’t stay in the profession since the beginning pay scales are inadequate to live on. Add to this fact that their peers coming out of college are getting paid a starting salary roughly twice what a beginning teacher is paid. The older experienced teachers are looking toward retirement where their (by then) adequate salary will continue without having to work for it in the form of retirement pay (yes, it has been well-earned). … “We get what we are willing to pay for.”–also very true. We cannot afford to pay more as a nation with the system as filled with waste as it is. SO, regardless of whether or not the teachers go on strike, they won’t achieve anything more than a modest change since there just isn’t enough money to support the bureaucracy and the distict’s intention to hire additional administrators will add to the bureaucracy at the expense of education. There really isn’t a solution other than, as a nation, recognizing that a complete overhaul is needed. Like with any service business, if you cannot afford to stay in business as you are now, you have to either trim expenses or trim services and oftentimes trim both.
My spouse is a retired teacher. The 180 day contract rule is enforced. Salary compensation in terms of step and column is quite good. Benefits and CalSTRS compensation is quite good.
In nearly all salary positions in the private sector, 60 hour work weeks are the norm, and a 240 day work year is normal.
My point is this: what is fair compensation? What salary would you consider to be appropriate? Let’s talk numbers not emotions. Teachers are extremely valuable entities and we honor them. But we keep talking in terms of respect and we should pay more. Let’s put dollars to a respected salary level and fair compensation.
I for one know the step and column metrics and as one who partakes in a district compensation, I believe educators are compensated fairly. So does my spouse.
Three members of my family are teachers. One at Benicia High School, One is a 32 year old principle at a Vallejo middle school, my oldest daughter is a high school teacher in Marin Country. All went in at the beginning and are not leaving. It is in many cases a very well paid profession.. All own their own homes and in some cases have vacation homes. Not everyone has that.