Teachers Union, School District at Contract Impasse

Novato teachers and the school district are at a stalemate over teacher salaries, and a moderator will soon be called in to serve as a referee.

The executive board of the Novato Federation of Teachers has unanimously rejected the ’s offer of a 1 percent salary increase and 1 percent one-time bonus (about $600).

“We were trying to get into negotiations, but it was the first, only and final offer,” said Aaron Fix, a biology teacher who serves as NFT president. “It was ‘If we didn’t accept, we can take a hike.’”

The teachers union, which has gone three years without a contract, points to statistics showing its teachers are making 4.5 percent less than employees in comparable districts. Fix said the district would not accept that comparison.

“Our hope is that we can continue talking and that we can reach an agreement,” said Cindi Clinton, president of the NUSD board of trustees. “Our teachers are very important to us. Getting to an impasse doesn’t help anybody.”

In the statement, NFT said, “We are only asking for a commitment to make us competitive with districts that receive almost exactly the same money from the state as we do, yet manage to compensate their teachers significantly better.  Where is that money going?  A significant chunk is going to our reserves.”

NFT said the district has about $16 million in its reserve account; an exact total could not be confirmed Monday by district officials. The teachers union said that number is much higher than it needs to be and that it would not devastate the district’s financial situation to give the teachers a fair portion.

“Our district, as well as many districts around the state, are carrying the largest reserves in history,” Clinton said. “But given the history of our state budget, that’s the responsible thing to do.”

The union said it has examined the district’s budget “in great detail, and it is exceedingly clear that teachers are not one of its priorities.”  Pam Conklin, the district’s human resources director, said that’s not true at all.

“Retention of quality teachers is a top priority, without question,” she said. “It was our hope that the salary increases offered in this fiscal climate demonstrated the value and respect we have for our teachers and certificated staff.”

In Novato, most inexperienced teachers start near $40,000 a year and most teachers retire at just more than $70,000, Fix said. The union said it does not expect salaries to immediately match those of other districts in Marin County, “even though we lose many of our best and brightest teachers to them every single year,” Fix said.

Clinton said it is “unfortunate that the area we live in is surrounded by wealthier districts. It’s understandable that some teachers would leave for opportunities down the road. But until the state totally overhauls the way our schools are financed, we will face these kinds of challenges.”

Once paperwork is filed with the state Public Employee Relations Board, an evaluation will be made about whether a mediator should be dispatched to help reach a settlement. Fix said there are two more steps — fact-finding and arbitration — that would have to result in continued stalemates before the union would consider a strike.