Negotiations Update 3-19-21

Negotiations Update 3-19-21
Posted on 03/19/2021

The District and the Eureka Teachers Association (ETA) met for the first day of 2021-22 contract negotiations on March 19. As both parties were interested in a multi-year agreement, they exchanged comprehensive package proposals to include a 3-year deal.

The District’s comprehensive package is 10% and consists of all compensation and benefit changes to include:

A 5% ongoing increase to the unit, effective July 1, 2021—This 5% includes an increase to the salary schedule and all other compensation items proposed by both parties.

An additional 5% salary increase for three (3) years to reflect an increased teacher work year of five (5) additional instructional days, for a total of 185 instructional days, for the next three (3) years. The District believes this will help remedy learning loss experienced by students over the course of a year of distance learning.

Beginning in 2021/22, a 30-minute per day ongoing increase to the instructional day for TK-3rd grade students, to align the dismissal time of TK-3rd and 4-5th grades.

Contract language changes:

  • Article 1 – Agreement – updating the contract term to July 1, 2021-June 30, 2024.
  • Article 4 – Class Size – to align with our current practice, allowing for an additional student in TK-3rd grade classes with the consent of the teacher and principal.
  •  Article 10 – Evaluation Procedures – proposing specific evaluation protocols for non-traditional certificated staff, such as school nurses and speech/language pathologists.
  • Article 11 – Extra Duty Compensation – clarifying the terms of the special education teacher stipend and removing non-operational language.
  • Article 12 – Grievance Procedures – cleaning up the article, affirming an association representative for support may be present while removing the right to have a support person in addition to a representative, and clarifying issues for arbitration.
  • Article 13 – Leaves – updating with new changes to the law, combining duplicative sections, and aligning with Education Code.
  • Article 17 – Organizational Security – updating to be consistent with Janus.
  • Article 22 – Calendar – reflecting the additional 5 instructional days, and clarifying the use of pre-instructional professional development days for teacher use.
  • Article 24 – Teacher Hours – memorializing prep time for TK-3rd grade teachers, memorializing 7-12th grade PE teachers coach athletics, making split between District-directed and teacher-directed collaboration time ongoing, and removing teacher vote to establish annual middle school advisory period.
  • Article 27 – Transfers and Assignments – formalizing ongoing involuntary transfer/reassignment procedures.
  • Article 28 – Peer Assistance and Review Program – removing this provision from the contract as the State has not restored funding.
  • Article 29 – Specialized Instructional Services

The parties meet for a second day of negotiations on March 26, 2021.