For the last several months, students, parents, and neighbors have noticed that teachers have been gathering in front of Clark Magnet High School with signs. The Glendale Teachers Association (GTA) has been asking for a raise in wages that was promised to them by GUSD during Covid-19. Progress has been slow for the last two years, but the GTA and GUSD bargaining teams have been meeting to exchange various proposals.

Over 50 bargaining sessions have been attended by both sides, yet an agreement has not been reached. During their October 18 meeting, they agreed to remove past grudges from the bargaining table and established that GTA has the right to negotiate additional wages for 2022-23. According to the Glendale Teachers Association, the 2022-2023 budget is $344 million dollars.

Teachers are fighting for wage increases in an attempt to match the cost of living and inflation while not giving up prep period assignments. Prep time is a teacher’s free period. According to numerous teachers, the district is setting conditionals on prep periods and how they will be allocated. GTA is making sure to read the fine print to ensure that they are protecting their teachers as much as possible. 

If the proposal for secondary prep time is settled, this can result in teachers having an unbalanced schedule such as one day having multiple prep periods, and no prep time on an alternating day.

“It is unfortunate that many teachers including myself go above and beyond in our duties while the district drags its feet in negotiating with our union,” said Patrick Davarhanian, Clark Magnet High School Teacher & GTA representative. The district has been funded by the state and promised more support next year, but it cannot deliver on GTA’s needs. 

After not coming to an agreement for an extended period of time, the Glendale Teachers Association and GUSD entered a mediation phase, where a mediator from the state has been sent to help with the situation. They will meet again on February 28, if no agreement is reached, fact-finding will begin. Meeting details and all information will be presented to the community. 

“I have faith in the Glendale Teachers Association, our president Chris Davis, as well as the many intelligent and committed Board of Education members who I have had the distinct pleasure of working with,” Davarhanian said. The focus is to provide the best quality education to students, so it’s important that all parties directly or indirectly involved, reach an agreement.  

The link to the information above is here: https://www.glendaleteachers.org/_files/ugd/d9ecae_b1a2b64a62c1465e84a3179f76eb43ea.pdf?index=true