Congratulations to the Gilroy Unified School District and its
teachers union for finally reaching a contract.
Congratulations to the Gilroy Unified School District and its teachers union for finally reaching a contract.
Although we agree with Gilroy Teachers Association President Michelle Nelson that it took too long to reach this agreement, negotiations are at last finished, removing a major distraction from a district that needs to focus its attention on improving schools.
The district, according to recently released API scores, has been doing that, thanks in large part to the efforts of teachers as well as administrators, parents and students.
The negotiations had reached an impasse in June, with the district and the union frustratingly close on their proposals. A compromise broke the logjam:
• No raise for the 2002-03 school year.
• A 3 percent raise retroactive to the start of the current school year.
• The district – in a big concession – will pay all out-of-pocket expenses for teacher health insurance costs.
It’s too bad that it took 16 long months to reach this agreement.
Having said that, we would be remiss if we failed to pass along a few kudos to both sides. Teachers are to be commended for their restraint during the frustrating negotiations – they resisted the temptation to wield their most powerful and disruptive weapon: a strike.
Superintendent Edwin Diaz deserves praise because he declined to accept any pay increase while teacher contract talks were under way. That “take the high road” approach surely helped move negotiations forward.
Now, with a contract in place, most of the district’s attention can return to the challenges of educating Gilroy’s students.
But, alas, not all of it. Especially in these budget-constrained times, the district will have to find a way to pay for the contract, and that will likely mean cuts. Another painful process – deciding which programs to reduce or eliminate – will now begin.
A committee made up of GUSD administrators, teachers and board representatives will begin meeting next week to find ways to pay for this contract. It’s a difficult job we don’t envy.
But at least, for now, the arduous negotiations are finished, teachers have a contract, that – while it doesn’t thrill them – they can live with, and GUSD administrators, parents and students know they won’t have to deal with the upheaval of protracted talks and disenchantment.
And, while it may not be ideal, it’s still a lot.
