San Diego School District and Teachers Union Come to Contract Agreement Averting Strike

The San Diego Education Association (SDEA) and the San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) reached an agreement on Monday for a new contract, avoiding a strike that could have happened as soon as the end of the month.

The last contract had expired in June 2022, with teachers working without a new contract for the past year. Due to rising costs in the San Diego area, teachers demanding a large new raise, with salaries going up by 10% for the next school year, followed by 8% the year after that. Also being pushed for were more counselors, special education teachers, and nurses, as well as smaller class sizes and a doubled maternity leave time period from three weeks to six weeks.

While there were demands last year, 2023 brought teacher protests and the threat of a strike making negotiators on both sides of the table scramble to work out a deal. Strikes at school districts in other parts of the state, including Los Angeles, also fueled negotiations and the need to avoid a strike in San Diego.

“The district has historic funding this school year and next school year, ” noted SDEA president Kyle Weinberg last month. “And we want a raise that keeps up with that increase in district funding.”

The SDUSD subsequently countered in a statement:

“The San Diego Unified School District continues to work collaboratively with the San Diego Education Association and other labor partners on a contract that honors the work of our teachers and staff, and recognizes their dedication to educate and support students and help them recover from the effects of the pandemic.”

This led to an agreed upon contract and the union vote on Monday. Under the new contract, teachers will receive a 15% raise rather than the wanted 18% raise, with a 10% hike being retroactively added since the end of the previous contract, 5% added for the next school year, and a way into future increases when the next contract comes up in 2025. The additional maternity leave was also agreed to under the new contract, with an increased number of nurses and school counselors.

In a final vote, 98% of SDEA teachers agreed to the new contract, putting the new contract into effect immediately and quickly bringing out a joint SDEA/SDUSD press conference in San Diego on Monday.

Together we are stronger! ✊https://t.co/fFF1zAZ8kY pic.twitter.com/QB615ZI7nx

— San Diego Education Association (@SDeducators) June 10, 2023

“None of this would have been possible without a school board that shares our union’s commitment to securing more resources and strengthening practices to better serve the highest need student population in our county,” said Weinberg.

School Board Trustee Richard Barrera noted that, with the pay raise, it would create a $64,000 starting pay amount for teachers.

“With the agreement, we’re on our way to being able to tell young people you can pursue a career as an educator and still be able to raise a family in a place like San Diego at the same time,” explained Barrera. “The contract allows a first-year teacher to make $64,000 a year, a teacher in the middle of their career will have a salary of $105,000, and veteran teachers can make up to $124,000 annually.”

San Diego Unified Superintendent Lamont Jackson also noted that “What we are showing time and time again is that all things are possible when we do it together.”

However, even with the strike averted, many noted that problems will continue to persist for the District, including worry over what the 2025 contract negotiations will bring and growing efforts by teachers and schools to oust the SDEA union.

“Both sides won today, but with all the problems SDUSD is having on the horizon, this is more like winning a battle in a war,” explained education policy consultant Gina Soto to the Globe on Monday.

The new contract is expected to be ratified at the next SDUSD board meeting on June 20th, in time to come into effect for next year.