VUSD, VUEA reach salary agreement after dispute

Educators+wearing+red+for+ed+outside+of+Citrus+Glen+elementary%2C+Dec.+5

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Educators wearing red for ed outside of Citrus Glen elementary, Dec. 5

Sierra Ruiz, Staff Writer

After months  of contentious negotiations over teacher salary and benefits, a tentative agreement was made Dec. 5, after another negotiations meeting was held during which the district offered a 10% pay salary increase with no healthcare cap and a one time 2% bonus for this school year . 

This is a far jump from the district’s previous offer, a 6% pay increase with an additional 4% under the condition that educators put a cap (limit) on their health and welfare costs. While the district’s second  offer grew closer to the 12.84% VUEA originally  asked for, the union countered by asking for the 11.5% pay increase with fully funded healthcare. Although the counter-offer and offer are not identical, “both sides have agreed to return to negotiations next week to iron out the details,” the VUEA website read. They claim they are “optimistic that we [educators] will have a signed agreement next week,” the website read.

Along with the optimistic claims the VUEA website reads, they have included the next steps to having a signed agreement. They will need to meet and finalize and vote on a tentative agreement.  A tentative agreement is an agreement of which both sides agree to the terms and conditions.

Reaching a tentative agreement has been an uphill battle,

— VUEA instagram

“We are all so relieved. It was so stressful looking for a solution that’s fair to both parties,” VUEA negotiations team member and Buena librarian Joel Levin said “There’s been a big sigh of relief on both ends.”

 Levin goes on to say that the whole experience was “daunting” and “empowering” on the educator’s side. 

“Reaching a tentative agreement has been an uphill battle,” the VUEA instagram reads. “[let’s] keep our compensation competitive for years to come!”

What many educators hope for is that the negotiations process comes to an end and they receive the pay raise they’ve been working toward together in recent years.

 “We will not be scared off, we will stand our ground,” the VUEA instagram read, “In greater numbers lies greater power.”