Dublin Teachers Authorize Strike; Up Ante In Contract Talks

This story was made possible by the support of Dublin Patch members. Want to support more local coverage of Dublin? Click here to learn more.

DUBLIN, CA — Fresh from an overwhelming vote last week to authorize a strike against the Dublin Unified School District if continuing contract negotiations ultimately prove fruitless, teachers will plead their case to parents and the public Tuesday morning with scheduled rallies in front of the district’s 12 schools.

The union said 98% of Dublin Teachers Association membership who voted approved a strike, and they “have spoken loud and clear and will strike if ... things do not go well.”

Teachers will get an idea of just how well things go following a second mediation session scheduled for Tuesday morning. This could be the final attempt to mediate the dispute because DTA leaders in an email Monday said “we are getting good at predicting the future and mediation in April is not part of it.”

The DTA has been haggling over a new contract for the past year and declared an impasse in January – an action that triggered the involvement of a state mediator. The first marathon 12-hour mediation session produced no agreement. If the second attempt at mediation is also unsuccessful additional mediation sessions could be scheduled of the process could move directly to fact-finding and recommendations by a three-member panel appointed to study the dispute. If fact-finding produces no results the next step is arbitration after which the District could impose its final offer and teachers would be free to strike.

"We are committed to reaching an agreement for Dublin educators so that we can ensure that the Dublin schools have the best," the union told Patch. "This has been our goal with every bargaining session."

If there is a strike, teachers won’t be hitting the sidewalks until the state-mandated mediation, fact-finding and arbitration process is completed, something that will take a few weeks

School superintendent Dr. Leslie Boozer said the DTA strike authorization “doesn’t change our confidence in our ability to collaborate with DTA and reach an equitable solution that fairly compensates our dedicated teachers while ensuring the ongoing ability of the school district to invest in other critical educational resources.”

“A top-notch educational community starts in the classroom with our dedicated teachers. But that is only part of the puzzle,” Boozer said in a statement. “As a District, we must take a full view of our budget and our resources and balance the needs of today and the future.”

In a notice sent to its members the DTA declared Tuesday a “Dublin Green Day” and urged its members to gather at curbside in front of their schools to distribute fliers outlining the union’s position which hasn’t changed.

The DTA is demanding a 1.5% increase for the current school year, 3% for the 2019-20 school year and a one-time bonus of 3.5%. The District is offering 2% for each of the two years, a one-time bonus of 3.5% and a one-half-of-one-percent additional increase for teachers at the top of the pay scale.

In addition, teachers want smaller class sizes, reduced workloads, additional counselors and more affordable healthcare.

The District’s proposal offers an annual base salary of $65,822 for teachers at the lowest range with teachers at the top of the pay scale earning $109,153. In addition, the District would pay annual pension costs ranging from $10,716 to $17,770 depending upon pay level along with the entire cost of family dental coverage, a benefit of $1,633 per year. With everything combined total salaries would range from $78,171 to $128,556.

The DTA’s counter offer seeks base salaries of $67,465 for teachers at the lowest range to $111,320 for teachers at the highest pay level.

See Also:

• Dublin Teachers Schedule Strike Authorization Vote
  
• Dublin Teachers' Contract Dispute In Mediation
  
• Dublin School Board Member Calls It Quits After A Decade
  
• Dublin Teachers Rally For ‘Schools Students Deserve’