Dublin Teachers Schedule Strike Authorization Vote

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DUBLIN, CA — With no apparent progress following a marathon 12-hour mediation session last Friday, teachers are upping the ante in their contract dispute with the Dublin Unified School District. The Dublin Teachers Association, which represents some 623 educators at the district’s 12 schools, has called a strike authorization vote at 4 p.m. Tuesday at Dublin High School.

School superintendent Dr. Leslie Boozer told Patch the District was "heartened and grateful to both teams for their 12 hours of collaborative work."

"The hope is to continue the effort with the mediator and DTA in a second session, and that the ongoing conversations will help us reach an equitable agreement at the [bargaining] table," Boozer said.

Teachers are 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’s final offer before negotiations broke down was 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. The DTA is also seeking smaller class sizes, reduced workloads and additional support staff and more affordable healthcare.

In scheduling Tuesday’s voting, the DTA noted that teachers in neighboring San Ramon Valley Unified School District had reached a tentative agreement calling for 4% salary increase and criticized Dublin school officials for dragging its feet on negotiations.

Although a strike authorization increases pressure on the District to reach a settlement, it doesn’t mean teachers will be hitting the picket lines immediately. It could be a month or more before a strike actually occurs.

• Dublin Teachers' Contract Dispute In Mediation
  
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When the DTA declared an impasse after more than a year of negotiations its action triggered a process that could drag on for a month or more before an actual strike could occur. Once the state mediator certified his efforts were unsuccessful either side could request fact-finding by a panel composed of a neutral chairperson and one member selected by each of the parties. If no settlement is reached after the fact-finding panel issues its report the District may impose its final contract offer.

It is then teachers could pick up their picket signs and start marching.

See Also:

• Dublin School Board Member Calls It Quits After A Decade