On December 10, 2021 MDEA, the MDUSD educators union, declared an impasse. This is due to the constant refusal of the district to recognize that changes must be made in order to make the district more sustainable, and to continue to serve the communities of Concord, Clayton, Pleasant Hill, Bay Point, and even Martinez, Pittsburg, and Antioch. MDUSD teachers have not had a pay raise in 5 years, however, the issues run deeper than that. With the rises in health care, most members saw a cut in their pay of $200 to $400. 

MDUSD currently pays 80% of health care leaving members to struggle with the 20% leftover cost, while still ranking one of the lowest paying districts in the Bay Area. While most districts average anywhere from $74,000 to $82,000 in pay with a BA and 60+ units, MDUSD offers only $69,277. The majority of educators are nowhere near the later steps as they grapple with the rising costs of living, rising costs of education, and now rising costs of health care. To add to the growing concern is the district’s threat and consideration of demanding members to pay an even higher percentage of heath care than what they are currently paying. Many members have already had to find additional jobs because MDUSD does not offer a livable wage to their employees. 

All four unions in this particular district (CSEA, CST, Teamsters, and MDSPA) are buckling under the growing demands the district places on them, while struggling to stay afloat. Some of these particular members only make $2 above minimum wage. While the district continues to argue that they cannot afford to offer fair compensation to any of their unions, they failed to report that their budgeting was off by $25-$52 million dollars, as shown in the state FCMAT report, to their community. This brought their ending balance much higher than they initially proposed. They fail to tell their community where the money from their budget cuts in 2019 that was earmarked for raises went after they voted to not give any raises. 

As the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) has gone up for the past six years to 18.8%, MDUSD wages have roughly remained the same and remain non-competitive with other districts. The district’s current proposals barely take into account past COLA and does nothing for the projections of COLA this year or any other. To date, educators have been working over 200 days without a contract during a pandemic in a district that is complacent to do only half measures. 

While both students and employees struggle under ongoing Covid cases, this district maintains that while they refuse to give their employees raises that will create a livable wage, they can offer $1000 bonuses as well as a pay boost from $170 to $230 a day for new substitutes. Meanwhile, demands on teachers force them to take on split classes, which increase the risk of COVID exposures on students and teachers alike, as well as taking over other classes during preps. All in all, it amounts to a district with little consideration of its students or employees (save for a new coffee mug or pen every 5^th year that says we appreciate you).

With the district and MDEA entering mediation this month, one can’t help but wonder if the district will compromise on anything in order to ensure that educators remain in the district. There was a time when elected positions within a school district drew people who believed in a call to service, to roll up your sleeves and dig into the challenges at hand, so to speak, not simply maintaining the status quo. One option is born of determination and bravery, the other of greed and fear.

Karna Cruz, Mt. Diablo