Morgan Hill’s teachers will meet Tuesday to discuss possible
ratification of a year-late contract, according to union
officials.
Morgan Hill’s teachers will meet Tuesday to discuss possible ratification of a year-late contract, according to union officials.
Morgan Hill teachers and the school district have reached a tentative agreement on a new contract, which will be presented to rank-and-file members during a Morgan Hill Federation of Teachers meeting today. Votes on ratifying the contract will be cast by Thursday, according to Federation Vice President Theresa Sage.
The teachers will meet at 3:45 p.m. at Morgan Hill Cellars on San Pedro Avenue.
The district’s 443 teachers have spent almost the entire 2008/09 school year working under a contract that expired in June. Negotiations began in September, and frustrated teachers have complained that district officials aren’t negotiating in good faith, don’t respect them and have stonewalled their efforts to negotiate.
The rift reached its peak in November, when more than 100 teachers picketed in front of the district office before a Board of Trustees meeting.
Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Jay Totter declined to speak about the matter, but said “good news will be coming soon.”
Dozens of teachers approached the board throughout the school year, telling the trustees that they felt marginalized and underappreciated by an immovable district and blamed fourth-year Superintendent Alan Nishino for what they saw as a drastic turn for the worse in district-teacher communication. Teachers urged board members to get involved and push school district staff to settle.
One issue has not been settled via contract negotiations, though. Federation officials say a Public Employee Relations Board hearing has been set for June 10 to discuss an unfair labor practice complaint the federation filed last April. Federation officials said they agreed to put the complaint on hold in hopes of settling the dispute during contract negotiations.
The tentative agreement includes a concession by the teachers to forego 2 percent cost-of-living pay raises for both the current year and next year. Sage said by the third year of the contract, fiscal year 2010-2011, the teachers may negotiate with the district for new revenue to fund a pay raise.
“It’s been a long and difficult negotiating process,” Sage.
Reporter Michael Moore contributed to this report.
