We are deeply disappointed that the District and Valley of the Moon Teachers Association (VMTA) were unable to reach an agreement on contract negotiations during impasse mediation. We have now been released to the fact finding process. The District’s leadership team assures the Sonoma Valley school community that it has worked diligently on behalf of its students and employees to bargain in good faith with VMTA, presenting a salary offer more favorable than the original agreement and beneficial to all members. Further, the compromises on contract language (Articles) have also been thoughtfully offered to benefit VMTA unit members and avoid fact finding.
For context, the District and VMTA engaged in three rounds of impasse mediation with the State Mediator assigned to the case. During the process, the Parties reached an agreement contingent on board approval. The Board did not approve the agreement and instead notified VMTA they would issue a counter-offer. Instead of considering the counter-offer, VMTA took the non-approved agreement to its members for ratification.
Through multiple rounds of continued negotiations with VMTA and the State Mediator, the District made further offers to reasonably resolve impasse mediation. More recently, the District Superintendent, VMTA’s Co-President, and the State Mediator reached an agreement with improved terms benefiting all VMTA members. This would have allowed the Parties to end impasse mediation. The District’s Board approved the more favorable agreement reached by the Parties. However, VMTA’s leadership refused to present the agreement to their membership.
The District believes that heading to fact finding will be unnecessarily costly, and in-turn, negatively impact employees and students. The District offers to immediately return to impasse mediation to resolve the few remaining issues in dispute. Since we are so close to reaching a resolution, the District hopes that Parties can reconvene in labor talks to settle the remaining issues.
Sonoma Valley Unified School District
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