A:  The District and CUEA have been negotiating not only raises but also changes to medical benefits for new employees as well as special education teacher responsibilities.  Benefits and teacher responsibilities appear to be the main areas of disagreement.  To that end, the District’s last proposal included: 

• A 5.2% ongoing increase to the teacher salary schedule retro-active to July 1, 2021

An ongoing commitment totalling approximately $16.6M over the next four years

• A 10% increase to the nurse’s salary schedule retro-active to July 1, 2021

• Increases to teacher extra duty hourly pay of 19.3%

• Increases to athletic coach stipends ranging from 5.6% to 38.1%

• Additional support, increased stipends for elementary special education teachers, and additional preparation (non-teaching) time for secondary special education teachers for case carrier responsibilities

• NO CHANGE to teacher health and welfare benefits for those hired prior to July 1, 2022

Out of pocket costs will continue to be capped at $70 per month for 10 months for HMO full family medical coverage.  

• Establishment of a maximum District contribution to medical benefit premiums for NEW TEACHERS ONLY (hired on or after July 1, 2022) as follows:

All new teachers working at least half time will receive employee-only District HMO medical coverage at no cost.

All new teachers working at least half time will receive full family dental and vision coverage at no cost.

All teachers working at least half time who were hired on July 1, 2022 or later will remain eligible for up to $26,998.80 in District-paid contributions towards medical plan premiums above and beyond salary.

A:   Yes.  Although the District and CUEA were unable to reach agreement in mediation after five (5) sessions, the impasse process continues with Fact Finding. 

A:   A three-person Fact Finding panel will hold a hearing to review the proposals from both the District and CUEA and issue a set of non-binding recommendations for an agreement. The Fact Finding panel consists of one member appointed by the District, one appointed by CUEA, and one neutral, independent Fact Finding panel chairperson who is either selected by mutual agreement or assigned by PERB from a list of qualified labor relations professionals.

A: During the Fact Finding hearing, both sides will present data to support their proposals. The panel members meet to evaluate the positions and the data. Within 30 days, the panel is required to issue a report that contains findings of fact and non-binding recommendations. Before the report is made public, the parties have one more chance to meet confidentially to reach a tentative agreement. If they do not, then the report is made public, and the executive board of the union and the School Board vote to accept or reject the fact finder’s report. By statute, this process can take no longer than 10 days from the time the report is made public.

A: No. The Fact Finding Panel’s report is advisory only. In Fact Finding, the panel’s role includes making recommendations for settlement.

A: Possibly. The Fact Finding panel has the discretion to facilitate further negotiations between the parties during the Fact Finding process. When this occurs, it often involves a series of back-and-forth discussions involving the Fact Finding panel chair and both bargaining teams either before or after the formal hearing is completed. In some cases, once the parties have heard all of the facts and have some indication of the fact finders’ positions, a settlement agreement can be reached, and the process ends. In other cases, the parties cannot agree that day but agree to resume negotiations or mediation while the Fact Finding panel’s report is pending. Sometimes an agreement can be reached prior to the report being issued.

A: A strike related to these contract negotiations cannot occur until all steps in the impasse process have been exhausted, which includes completion of the Fact Finding process. This is not typically a fast process, and it would be illegal for the union to strike prior to the final report being made public. It is the union that undertakes all of the steps necessary to strike. A strike is an action done wholly by the union.

A: Yes. The District may impose its last, best, and final offer if a negotiated agreement cannot be reached after Fact Finding, though it is not required. If a strike occurs, the current salary schedule will remain in effect until a new agreement is signed by both parties, and union members on strike would receive no pay during the strike. Union members are not required to strike and could continue to work and receive pay if they choose to do so.

A: No, the current teacher contract is still in place. The current contract expired on June 30, 2022, but remains in effect until a successor agreement is negotiated. Last year’s teacher salaries and benefits continue until a new agreement on total compensation is reached. The District has implemented the usual automatic step and column pay increases for longevity for all employees, still moving up the salary schedule 

Teachers automatically advance each year to a new step on their salary schedule, which often results in a salary increase, unless they are at the highest pay level for their column.