In April 2024, an agreement was made between the Hart District Board, and the HDTA offering unit-members “two percent one-time money, and two percent on-going salary.” All HDTA members, over 1000 teachers in Hart District schools, voted on this offer and it was accepted. Once the Hart District School Board ratifies the agreement, the deal will be official. However, the Association had gone through trouble to reach this deal, and this year was not the first time. What else did the HDTA have to go through to compromise with the Board?
The HDTA, Hart District Teachers Association, rallied in front of the Hart District Office on Wednesday, March 13, 2024. About 800 teachers, students, staff, and other supporters were present outside the office for about two and a half hours.
Another rally had also happened on September 13, 2023 where over 400 teachers were also in attendance. These teachers were fighting the long fight for arranging a fair deal with the Hart negotiating teams to raise their wages, help working conditions of schools, and address budget concerns.
Every year, a contract is made so the HDTA can collectively bargain, and come to terms with disagreements as a union. One major issue that teachers faced was that the district is not being offered a cost of living adjustment for inflation. Michael Bunch, a teacher at Golden Valley and an HDTA member, shares the events that happened at the rally and the process of the ongoing negotiations. Bunch clarifies that the state budget given to the district has been “off this year by $40-50B and now they are only offered two percent including adjustments to benefits of an additional one to two percent per unit-member.”
As an organizing action, union members were asked to stand in solidarity by working to their contract hours, meaning closing their rooms to students during brunch and lunch. This is because teachers are entitled to a “duty-free lunch as any other employee in the state of California,” though it is up to them if they choose to follow this “rule”. Fortunately, because the Board and the Association reached an agreement, teachers are not recommended to follow this suggestion anymore.
On the HDTA website, there was a mention that if no fair deal has been made, teachers would take it to the next level. No teachers chaperoning for prom, or no teachers present for graduation, a very important day for high school students. Thankfully, with an agreement finalized, teachers will continue the “normal end of year supervision norms”.
We are glad that the Association and Board have come to a consensus to ensure fairness and that no extreme actions were taken to the next level.
