Updated 4/21 at 2:40 pm – Teachers Association President Diana Abasta responded back to us about the current negotiations: “We are asking for 9% on the salary schedule. They received 11.3% in new ongoing money. They offered 5%.
They have not given us their last and final offer. At that time, if we don’t agree then it goes into mediation.
In 10 years, we have received the equivalent of 1.9 % a year. We got no raise in 2016, 2019, 2020. We had to take furloughs in 2010-2012.”
Burbank Teachers took the steps of Burbank’s City Hall Thursday night before the Burbank School Board meeting held in the City Council Chamber.
The District has offered a 5% pay raise, but teachers are demanding a 9% increase. After a three-day strike earlier this month, LAUSD teachers recently secured a 21% pay hike.
“The district needs to reorder its priorities and begin to invest in the teachers Burbank students deserve,” said Burbank Teachers Association President Diana Abasta in a press release. “BUSD received an 11.2% increase in funding this year; they’re offering their teachers less than half of that percentage. BTA is only asking for a fair increase that will help keep pace with inflation and begin to make the district more competitive with its neighbors so it can reverse the staff exodus that plagued BUSD in recent years.”
An email to Abasta about the current contract went unanswered, and the BTA website shows no updates since February 7, with no updates about current contact talks.
BUSD Superintendent Matt Hill said the District is still working to negotiate a new contract, “We continue to work collaboratively with our collective bargaining partner (BTA) during negotiations to reach a mutual agreement on giving our teachers, counselors, nurses, and speech-language pathologists the largest compensation increase that we can afford while meeting the State’s mandatory 3% budget reserve requirement. Our current proposal of 5% brings our reserve down to that 3% minimum without cuts to programs, services, or increases to class size.
In addition to covering increased compensation costs, the 11.3% must also be used to cover the costs due to declining enrollment, inflation, increased utility costs, increased retirement costs, and increased special education costs.
To accept the 9% proposal, we would need to reduce our expenditures in the 2024-25 school year by $9.3 million to balance our budget. We know that we need to increase compensation for our valued employees. We are committed to reviewing the entire budget with our collective bargaining partners so that we can identify ways to increase compensation,” said Hill.
Burbank teachers and the BUSD will meet again to resume negotiations in May.
