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Alameda teachers rally for more pay
Teachers in Alameda are holding a two-day rally beginning Wednesday as they seek to build support ahead of a key contract meeting with district leaders.
ALAMEDA, Calif. - Teachers in Alameda are holding a two-day rally beginning Wednesday as they seek to build support ahead of a key contract meeting with district leaders.
Representatives from the Alameda Education Association say teachers plan to rally at every school campus in the district on Wednesday and Thursday.
The demonstrations are scheduled to take place before and after school and are not a strike, meaning the school day is not expected to be affected.
The union says it's asking for a 9% increase in pay and more afforably healthcare.
"The lowest cost plan that Alameda Unified Offers to AEA members, cost a third of a first year teacher's salary," said Lyndsey Schlax, a history teacher at Lincoln Middle School.
"It's significant. I pay $2,017 a month to get health insurance for my family."
Union leaders will be part of a state-mandated meeting with the district scheduled for Thursday.
Contract negotiations between the union and the district reached an impasse in November.
District Superintendent Pasquale Scuderi says the union did not provide a counter-offer to the district's original proposal.
"I think we all agree, and it's important to start with what we agree on, that our teachers deserve more," he told KTVU.
"The questions for us is how do we do that? How do we do that creatively in a way that doesn't veer toward irresponsibility?"
Union leaders and the district say they are confident a deal can be reached following the mediation session.
If not, they'll each present fact-findings to an independent panel.
"After that point, the district would take that into consideration and make their last best offer, and if that's not acceptable to the membership, then that's when we could consider authorizing a strike," said Schlax.