Labor strife at Chico public schools is over, at least for now. The Chico Unified School District Board of Trustees voted unanimously Wednesday evening to approve a tentative contract with the district’s teachers.
While many teachers felt the contract’s pay increases fail to keep pace with the rising cost of living, a majority of the rank and file approved the deal, likely reasoning that the deal was all that could be attained, under the circumstances.
Reacting to longstanding acrimony in labor relations, including accusations of delaying tactics, brinkmanship and secrecy, district Superintendent Kelley Staley said the district and its bargaining units should embark on a new attempt to reduce animosity, saying the soured atmosphere is not helping children in the classroom.
“We’ve heard several times during the past year that we need to change how we do business, and frankly, I could not agree more,” Staley said.
The new contract, which provides a 3 percent retroactive raise to last July and a 6 percent increase effective Jan. 1, expires next summer.
Trustee Linda Hovey said she had concerns that changes in state funding for schools may leave the district unable to make good on the contract.
“The public needs to know, three years out, going forward, if the money isn’t there, they’ll have to be cuts,” Hovey said. “I mean those pink slips are going to have to come back around.”
