Strike

The teachers in a nearby school district are on strike.

A teacher in that district with the same education and years of service that I have makes 2.1% more money than I do, works 2 fewer days a year, and has already been offered a raise higher my district’s teachers union will settle for after negotiations (if the last 10+ years are any indication). I say this not to denigrate the Sac City teachers—I honestly don’t know which side in their dispute is asking too much—but to show why I don’t think so highly of the union in my own district. That’s partly why I’m not a member.

Update, 4/4/22:  Sac City teachers went back to work today after agreeing to the following with their district:

The tentative agreement with the teachers union includes ongoing 4% salary increases starting with the current school year; 3% one-time stipends for the 2019-20 and 2020-21 school years; one-time payments of $1,250 in the current school year; 25% rate increases for substitutes who filled in for absent teachers this year; and 14 more sick days for subs who test positive for or have symptoms of COVID-19. 

The deal also addresses teacher health benefits, which have been a point of contention for years between the district and union. 

“The district will continue to provide 100% paid health coverage through Kaiser and a mutually agreed upon alternative plan or plans. The current alternative plan is HealthNet,” the district said. 

The teachers union will also “withdraw a grievance and all of its pending unfair practice charges filed with the Public Employment Relations Board.”

My local union would settle for a 1% one-time bonus, and a majority of the teachers (if you trust the union's vote-counting) would approve it.