As the largest employer in the City of Rialto, Rialto Unified School District, with over 3,787 employees responded to its teacher/classified unions, with astudent-first approach, citing a three percent raise is sound judgment during challenging times to remain fiscally solvent; an approach that the District said will save all staff jobs without sacrificing student programs and keeping health benefits free for its employees.
The District’s top officials responded after a paid editorial by the Rialto Education Association (REA, teachers’ union) was published on last week’s front page of the Rialto Record and shared on social media. The one-and-a-half-page editorial supplied thoughts from Tobin Brinker, REA president, with the assistance of California School Employees Association (CSEA) classified union president Christina Acosta. The classified union is asking for 3.75 percent, while the district holds at 3 percent for both bargaining units. The sponsored editorial piece reflecting the union’s perspective during negotiations, which has now, according to REA, reached impasse.
Brinker stated, “We have been negotiating with the school district for our contract for almost a year now. Since we first sunshined our proposals, the district has drawn a hard line at a 3% salary increase. We believe teachers should be paid 5%.”… He added, “When districts get money, it’s meant to be for the kids who are here right now. What we’ve discovered is that Rialto is not using that money on the kids who are here right now.”…