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This March marks the beginning of a third year of negotiations between the Berkeley Federation of Teachers and the Berkeley Unified School District, and we have yet to reach a settlement. Over 25 negotiations sessions occurred before impasse was declared in June of 2004, and now the process is directed by a state mediator. Because progress has been minimal, extremely slow and frustrating, Berkeley teachers have worked without a salary increase for the past two years. At the same time, our working conditions have deteriorated. Class sizes have increased dramatically in grades 4-12, as has the amount of assessments and paperwork that we are required to submit. Despite limited and inadequate instructional supplies, we have been asked to assume a range of new responsibilities, well beyond our workday.  

The Berkeley Federation of Teachers has bargained with the utmost integrity and believe that we have not made unreasonable demands. It is true that the district is recovering from a large deficit. This is why Berkeley teachers have not asked for a retroactive increase. We are asking for no more than our fair share of increased revenues that the district will receive for the school year 2005-06 and beyond. Teachers should not be the district’s last priority for spending.  

Our union is also aware that the cost of health benefits has increased significantly over the past few years. This is why we have offered to shoulder a fair share of the increase.  

We are thrilled that Berkeley’s taxpayers approved Measure B; this will result in smaller classes for the next two years in BUSD. This is why we are proposing class size maximums in grades K-12, for as long as smaller classes are funded by the local parcel tax. Most school districts have class size maximums in their teacher contracts, but there are currently no class size limits at the secondary level in BUSD. Meanwhile, teachers face more than 40 students in some academic classes and over 50 students in some physical education classes at BHS.  

Our superintendent is justifiably concerned that our district maintain financial sustainability into the future and we support her interests in this area. However, we believe that it is unfair to ask employees to shoulder increased health care costs while, at the same time, receive no salary increase. This would result in a net effect pay cut were we to accept it.  

We maintain that with proper budgeting and planning, the district could afford to fund salary increases for certificated and classified employees with at least a portion of the over 4 percent cost of living allocation that the District will receive from the state for the 2005-06 school year. We also maintain that our class size proposal will not hurt the district financially.  

The Berkeley Federation of Teachers is committed to getting a fair settlement and avoiding a strike if at all possible. However, we cannot continue to conduct “business as usual” within the district, given the progress of negotiations. Therefore, after receiving feedback from all schools in the district, our executive board has voted to “work to contract” until further notice. This means that teachers will work only the hours specified as our duty day rather than the 50- to 60-hour weeks that we often work to plan curriculum and homework, produce materials for students, evaluate student work, communicate with families, serve on committees, coordinate special events and provide extra help well beyond the school day and on weekends. We hope that parents and guardians will understand our position and support us as negotiations continue. 

I have proudly worked in Berkeley Unified School District for the past 10 years. I was the principal of Jefferson School, a teacher at King Middle School, and now, as a teacher on special assignment, coordinate beginning teacher support for the district, in addition to my work with the teachers’ Union. In order for Berkeley to recruit and maintain high quality teachers, we must remain competitive in salary with other Bay Area districts and provide working conditions that support optimum student achievement. I sincerely hope that BFT and BUSD reach agreement very soon. Until that time, teachers will continue to work to contract and wear red armbands to symbolize our anger at the lack of progress in negotiations and also our passion for teaching. We want the contract to be settled so that only our passion remains. 

Jan Goodman is a teacher in the Berkeley Unified School District.