Dublin Teachers Say 'It's Time' for a Raise

Dublin Unified teachers demonstrated outside schools districtwide Friday morning to gain support for their efforts to get a pay raise.

The members of the teachers union, including counselors, psychologists, nurses and speech therapists, haven't had a raise since 2006. That, combined with skyrocketing health care costs, means some teachers have actually seen a decrease in annual pay.

"Everyone else in the administration, from (Superintendent Stephen) Hanke and down, has had a raise. They keep spending all the money for their agenda items and none for us," said Kim Van Lare, union rep at Dublin Elementary and a kindergarten teacher. "It's time."

According to a flier being handed out at Dublin Elementary School, those employees received a 1.5 percent pay raise last September.

At the same time, the teachers' union has seen health care plan costs for a family increase from between $1,012.39 and $1,769.12 a month in 2006 to $2.081.14 up to $3,379.31 a month currently.

Hanke told Patch that the economy is to blame.

"We have great teachers, and they are incredibly important to the district. Unfortunately, with the economic downturn and the increase in health care costs, we haven't had price of living increases. What I can say though is we don't have any furlough days, and we have had off-schedule bonuses."

A teacher starting out in Dublin earns a salary of $54,346. The maximum salary, including health care, is $93,239, Hanke said.

Hanke said the local control funding formula, a move by Gov. Jerry Brown to boost per-pupil spending, hurts districts like Dublin by drawing away state funding.

So far the teachers' union and the district have held one bargaining meeting. The next is scheduled for March 28, Van Lare said.