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Tuesday marked day two of an ongoing strike by the Dublin teachers union with no end in sight as the association and the school district have yet to reach a deal despite negotiating until the wee hours of the morning.
Picketing by the 700-plus member Dublin Teachers Association was scheduled to occur once again Wednesday in support of increased pay and benefits, reduced class sizes and a full-time counselor at each elementary school. Dublin Unified School District reported moving its offer on some of those areas during bargaining after Tuesday night’s school board meeting, but no agreement had been reached after they called the session at 2:35 a.m. Wednesday.
The district had backed a fact-finding panel’s neutral recommendation presented last Thursday — featuring increased compensation without instating class size reductions or the counselors — but DTA continually declined the offer, arguing it is not student-centered.
DUSD said its side introduced a new commitment to fund one full-time equivalent counselor at each elementary school and push a more defined process for class size analysis at around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, and while the discussions were “productive” that night, they remained at impasse.
Another bargaining session is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Wednesday. Teachers will remain out of their classrooms and on strike for the third day in a row.
All DUSD campuses remain open with meals and “learning opportunities”, according to assistant superintendent of educational services Matt Campbell.
“We recognize the urgency of having our teachers back in the classroom working with our students and we will continue to work toward a resolution as quickly as possible, while maintaining respect for the fiscal realities we face,” Campbell said earlier Tuesday.
“We’ll be on the picket lines until DUSD management reprioritizes their budget and INVESTS IN OUR STUDENTS,” DTA officials wrote on social media Tuesday evening.
Ahead of a bargaining session that began Tuesday morning, DTA President Brad Dobrzenski expressed a desire to end the strike.
Both parties agreed on the “cost analysis of the proposals presented,” Campbell said of the session.
District negotiators also requested from DTA a counter proposal reflective of the district’s budget, he added.
Dobrzenski did not respond for additional comment as of Tuesday afternoon.
Ahead of the DUSD Board of Trustees meeting Tuesday night, the teachers union planned a rally beginning at 4:15 p.m. outside the district office.
DTA officials also prompted supporters on social media to attend the board meeting, which was scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.
Additionally, union officials have requested community members write letters of support for DTA to Superintendent Chris Funk and the school board.
Reflecting on day one of the strike, Funk reprimanded union members for allegedly obstructing school sites — a claim Dobrzenski refuted during an interview with Pleasanton Weekly.
Individuals have the right to protest, but they may not interfere with campus access, Funk said.
“Unfortunately, we have received multiple reports from school sites that members of the Dublin Teachers Association have blocked or attempted to block access to campuses for families, students and deliveries,” Funk said in the statement. “Let me be clear: this behavior is unacceptable and must stop immediately.”
Dobrzenski maintained that, “Our lines are moving and we’re not obstructing anything.”
“I know it might look a little bit different for our community, but everybody still has access to district facilities, should they choose to use them during a strike,” Dobrzenski said.
He added that union members have alerted arriving individuals to the strike and requested a display of their support by not crossing the picket line. Individuals are free to enter, he explained.
“We want to make sure that they entered into the situation fully informed to make the choice that was best for them,” Dobrzenski said.
