Strikes Work
By 
The Las Vegas teachers threatened a strike. You probably didn’t hear about because near-strikes don’t get much media coverage. And also because the city caved entirely in the face of the fear of the strike wave hitting it next.
Officials with the Clark County School District and the teachers union have tentatively agreed on the terms of a contract for the 2019-20 and 2020-21 school years, averting a threatened strike on Sept. 10.
Superintendent Jesus Jara and top officials of the Clark County Education Association announced the deal at a 5 p.m. news conference at the district’s offices on Sahara Avenue that also was attended by Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak.
“The effort, collectively … to get this deal done was critical for our 320,000 children,” Jara said.
The agreement includes a 3 percent salary raise; a step increase in the salary table in each year of the contract; a 4 percent increase in CCSD’s health care contribution in both years; as well as a column advancement for every employee who has completed their professional development requirements needed to advance one column on the salary table.
The contract also includes a provision to discuss a new Professional Growth System model in the future.
The professional development raises proved to be the most contentious point as contract talks turned heated last week, leading to threats of a strike. The district had previously offered a one-time payment for professional development raises, which the union declined.
This is very good. Teachers to keep demanding more for themselves, which means more for their students when it means they aren’t working second jobs to make ends meet or taking money out of their meager salaries to buy school supplies for students.