The Chico Unified Teachers Association ratified a contract Monday night. Sixty percent of members voted yes.
That’s a rather slim margin for a vote like this.
Kevin Moretti is president of the CUTA. He said the vote was so close because there was a lot for people to not like.
He acknowledged the eventual 9 percent total increase to teacher salary, but said it came with all kinds of cuts.
In fact, he said, even the union members who voted to ratify the contract weren’t crazy about it.
“I don’t think they passed it because they liked it,” Moretti said. “But they agreed with the assessment that a strike probably wouldn’t get something better.”
Assistant Superintendent Bob Feaster said that the district stretched quite a bit on the pay raise, but called the overall deal good for the health of the entire school district.
He added that the CUSD has heard the CUTA’s complaints. They plan on sitting down and addressing some of them next month.
Moretti and Feaster did agree on one provision of the deal. It directs a committee to figure out a way to implement all-day Kindergarten in at least some parts of the district.
The School Board votes Wednesday night, and while anything could happen, they were the ones who OK’ed the tentative agreement in the first place.