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Following months of discussions over a multimillion-dollar budget cut package that includes nearly 200 layoffs, the San Ramon Valley Unified School District declared an impasse this week in its negotiations with the San Ramon Valley Education Association.
Superintendent CJ Cammack announced the news Tuesday, citing the “urgency” of the district’s financial situation and the necessity for the drastic measures contained in the budget cut package that he initially introduced in December ahead of union negotiations.
“Regrettably, the foundational issue that must be solved in the immediate future is the need to achieve reductions from the SRVEA unit of at least $13.7 million to be implemented in each of the next three years,” Cammack said in Tuesday’s announcement. “Given the urgent need to enact these reductions, the Board of Education authorized the District to declare impasse with the intent of allowing the Public Employee Relations Board (PERB) to appoint a mediator to assist both parties in making progress toward an agreement.”
SRVEA did not join the district in the declaration of impasse, with representatives from the union seeking to draw awareness over their contentions with the current bargaining process and their counter proposals to the district in the months since bargaining began.
“The District was able to reach agreements with our classified unions, CSEA and SEIU,” Cammack said. “However, despite good faith efforts and after seven bargaining sessions, the District and SRVEA have been unable to reach an agreement, nor have the parties made any substantive progress.”
The approximately 200 layoffs that were approved by the Board of Education last month consist of the reduction or elimination of more than 129 FTE (full-time equivalent) positions currently held by SRVEA members, a point that the union has sought to emphasize during their campaign against the move.
Associated cost-cutting measures such as increased class sizes and reductions in student services also disproportionately impact SRVEA employees, according to teachers, counselors, school psychologists, and teacher librarians who have spoken out against the cuts in recent board meetings and during demonstrations on school sites.
According to SRVEA, management has rejected a series of alternative measures that would have saved approximately $20 million, including freezing salaries for upper management, a plan to quickly increase average daily attendance (ADA) rates, an early retirement incentive, and working to prevent overprojections of spending.
The district is now set to file for impasse independently, with the Public Employee Relations Board set to appoint a mediator aimed at facilitating an agreement between the two parties should PERB determine that the situation is truly an impasse.
“Impasse is a formal step in the bargaining process that occurs when both sides are unable to reach a resolution despite good-faith efforts,” Cammack said. “Pending PERB’s determination, an independent mediator from PERB would be assigned to assist both parties in finding a mutually acceptable solution. I hope that through this process, we can reach an agreement that supports our students, staff, and schools while protecting the financial health of our District.”
SRVEA’s president had not responded to a request for comment as of Thursday afternoon.
