SRVUSD Teachers Union OKs Strike Amid Negotiations

SAN RAMON VALLEY, CA — Some San Ramon Valley Unified School District teachers could go on strike, as tension surrounding contract negotiations escalates.

The San Ramon Valley Education Association announced Monday morning ahead of the union's third mediation session with the district that 98 percent of its members authorized a strike, if certain demands are not met.

SRVUSD said it presented "its last, best, and final package," which was rejected by SRVEA Monday, meaning a fact-finder will now step in to help both sides resolve their dispute by analyzing their arguments.

The union is calling for a counselor and nurse at every school site, and class size caps for elementary school and special education students, said Jennie Drummond, a Monte Vista High School art teacher and co-chair of communications for the union. The union also wants higher pay for teachers.

"As always, we remain committed to negotiating a fair agreement with SRVEA which addresses the needs of our students and our educators while remaining fiscally responsible for the short and long term," said district spokesperson Christopher George in an email.

As for the union's demands, Drummond said that Monte Vista High is lucky if a nurse is on campus half a day, twice a week.

"Kids get hurt all the time," she said. "(Schools) should have someone there to help them, who is able and qualified."

When it comes to class size caps, Drummond said she went from having 200 students last year to 165 students this year. That makes a big difference when it comes to giving students one-on-one time.

Younger or more vulnerable students are especially in need of individualized attention, she said.

"We don't really want to strike, but we will in order to get what's best for our students," Drummond said.

The union said on its website that SRVUSD is calling for teachers to be paid on the 2018 to 2019 school year salary schedule until 2021, "while our educators pay higher rents and costs to live."

Teachers are currently working under a contract that expired in June, Drummond said.

In a note to the SRVUSD community Monday, the district said negotiations continue with SRVEA, which represents teachers, psychologists, nurses, counselors and other specialists.

SRVEA is the largest union the district negotiates with, but negotiations continue with the Service Employees International Union. The district said it reached a tentative contract with California School Employees Association.

The offer included a 2.56 percent salary increase, higher than the increase proposed by the union, the district said. It also included an unspecified maximum cap for elementary classes, with bonuses for teachers who have more students, an additional five psychologists districtwide, an improvement in the middle school counselor to student ratio (600:1 from 650:1) and more.

The district said it could not afford all of the union's requests, but the Board of Education would remain "committed to prioritizing its employees by negotiating a contract which honors our educators and staff, while maintaining a sound and responsible budget over the long term."

The union did not respond to a call late Friday seeking more information about Monday's negotiations.

The union plans to hold two town halls for members of the public who wish to learn more about their efforts from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Feb. 26 at Dougherty Valley High School and from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., March 12 at the San Ramon Valley High School library.

Read the full SRVUSD note here.