Dos Palos teachers rally to voice frustration at contract impasse
A chorus of “Be smart, pay more, before we’re headed out the door,” and other chants rang outside the Dos Palos Oro Loma Joint Unified School District office Monday afternoon as teachers and other district employees picketed during the first day for new Superintendent William Spalding.
“The ultimate goal is to get the district to offer a fair contract,” said Marty Thompson, a Bryant Middle School teacher and union president.
About 60 people, including district teachers, school bus drivers, other employees and parents, gathered on Almond Street in front of the school district office in Dos Palos. Teachers from other school districts joined them.
They were protesting the current state of contract negotiations, which was declared at an impasse by the teachers union April 6.
Teachers were offered a 1 percent salary increase for this year’s contract, which is still unresolved, Thompson said. Teachers said the proposal was unfair compared with the raises teachers received at other districts.
Former interim Superintendent Jack Mayer told the Merced Sun-Star last week that teachers received a 6.09 percent raise in 2013 and 5 percent raise in 2014. The district also added contributions to teachers’ medical benefits, and many teachers receive 2 percent step increases each year.
But teachers Monday said they didn’t receive raises during the recession, and that their starting salary of $44,404 is notably less than other nearby districts such as Merced, Los Banos and Firebaugh.
They also pointed to Proposition 30 in 2012, which raised income and sales taxes to help prevent cuts to state education funding.
The district received about $21 million from the proposition. Thompson said much of that money should have gone to teachers but is heading to reserves, under the school board’s plans.
Teachers say the lower pay is causing qualified educators to leave, forcing the district to hire noncredentialed teachers.
“New teachers are staying for two years to get credentialed, then leave because they can find better paying jobs in other districts,” said Rita Huitron, a Marks Elementary third-grade teacher and teacher mentor.
Dos Palos parent Ana Mijares said she was marching with teachers because she saw the effect of lower wages and declining teacher retention when she noticed two of her middle school son’s classes were staffed by multiple substitute teachers.
“I was surprised,” Mijares said, claiming that the issue was hindering her son’s learning and ability to get into a college or university.
New superintendent hired in Dos Palos
The reason the rally was held Monday was because it was Spalding’s first day as superintendent, Thompson said.
“We want him to know we’re serious about this,” Thompson said.
Spalding was previously assistant superintendent for educational services at the Washington Unified School District in West Sacramento.
On Monday before the rally, Spalding said he spent the day driving to schools in the district, talking to principals and getting to know the place.
“It’s a little unusual coming in the first day,” Spalding said. “But I know that there has been disagreement as to what the district can afford at this point.”
Spalding said the district needs be fair to its employees while being responsible to its budget.
“I look forward to getting this resolved,” Spalding said, adding that he hopes everyone involved in contract discussions negotiates agreeably and stays focused on the students.
Thompson said the union plans to picket at the next school board meeting April 21 at Marks Elementary. Teachers and parents also plan to speak at the meeting, Thompson said.
In regard to contract negotiations, Thompson and Spalding said mediators will attempt to reach an agreement before the negotiation process is turned over to a third-party fact finder to review the dispute.
If a contract isn’t reached after the fact-finding process, teachers could go on strike as early as the start of next school year, Thompson said.
This story was originally published April 12, 2016 at 5:40 PM with the headline "Dos Palos teachers rally to voice frustration at contract impasse."