Update: Hundreds of Modesto teachers picket at school board meeting. What is union asking?
Teachers from prekindergarten through high school rallied outside the Modesto City Schools board room Monday afternoon, calling for a fair contract for the 2023-24 school year. Union supporters shouted “Teachers unified, we’ll never be divided” as community members funneled into the building for the Board of Education’s regular meeting.
Around 400 Modesto Teachers Association members picketed for an 11% pay increase, better benefits and working conditions in the district.
Union President Chris Peterson said the MTA and the district have reached an impasse in negotiations of their contact.
So far, the union and the district have met nine times and have agreed on most points, though the district proposed a 6.25% pay increase instead of the MTA’s 11%.
To help reach an agreement, a state mediator will be used. That mediator will come to Modesto to facilitate another round of negotiations on Monday, March 11. This isn’t the first time a state mediator has been called to help with negotiations for yearly contracts.
“We wouldn’t have gotten to an impasse if we didn’t think it would help the process,” Peterson said. “But we are following those steps to make sure we are bargaining in good faith and meeting expectations.”
He stressed how important it is to keep and retain teachers in the district, especially in short-staffed areas like special needs and early childhood education.
“That is absolutely our call and our call to action: Retain the folks we have and recruit the new bodies we need,” Peterson said. “Public education is tough, classrooms are tough, and the transition that we’re facing, we need to get as many of those folks as we can.”
The district agreed that progress has been made, except for salary and hours of employment.
“The leadership of MTA is requesting a 11% salary increase. While we value their perspective, it’s essential to note that personnel costs make up a significant portion of our budget,” said chief communications officer Sharokina Shams.
Shams said with the 6.25% raise the district is proposing, teacher’s salaries will range between $72,409 for new teachers in the profession to $134,228 for teachers at the highest end of the salary scale.
With the 11% raise the teacher’s union is looking for, teacher’s salaries will range between $75,647 for new teachers in the profession to $140,230 for teachers at the highest end of the salary scale.
Around 10 teachers addressed the school board during the public comment period.
Aimee Shepherd-Matlock, a teacher at Modesto High School, said she has been with the district 24 years. She told trustees that medical costs have skyrocketed and it’s become expensive to cover a family through the district’s insurance.
“The cost to insure myself and child is actually a mortgage payment in addition to my mortgage payment,” she said. “A new teacher makes $68,150. If they choose to insure themselves, it is $1,450 per year. That’s reasonable. To cover themselves plus one, the cost jumps to $13,713 a year. If they have to cover their family, it now escalates to $21,068 per year.”
Shams said they reached an agreement with the union leadership agreed to increase the district’s benefit contribution to $10,800 per year.
Kelly Blanc has been a teacher for 27 years and works at Beyer High. She said with the rising costs of living, rising medical insurance and heightened safety issues, teachers in this district are stressed. “If you look outside those blinds, you’re going to see a lot of stressed teachers,” Blanc told the school board.
Patricia Bautista is a dual language academy teacher of first-graders at Bret Harte Elementary School. She has worked as a teacher for over 23 years and said the union is seeking a stipend for dual language arts, as other neighboring school districts have.
Bautista said dual language teachers have to do double the work for their students. “I am passionate about the dual language program. I believe in the program, which is why I continue to teach, but we have lost great teachers to the program due to the extra workload,” she said.
The union reported there have been 205 resignations, 148 retirements in the district since the 2020-21 school year. It also reported there are currently 14 vacancies.
This story was originally published March 4, 2024 at 6:35 PM.
