Santa Barbara Educators Vote to Authorize Strike

[Update: Sun., June 2, 2024, 4:20 p.m.] This story was updated to include a statement from the Santa Barbara Unified School District.

The Santa Barbara Teachers Association (SBTA) has a loaded strike in its holster after a supermajority of the union voted this week to authorize a strike.

Ninety-five percent of eligible members casted ballots, with an overwhelming majority of 98 percent in favor of the SBTA executive board calling for a strike — that is, if no settlement with the Santa Barbara Unified School District (SBUSD) has been reached after the impasse process ends. 

In doing so, these members also voted to reject the district’s “last, best, and final offer” that would be unilaterally imposed after the impasse process, which began in January after the union and the district failed to reach an agreement on a contract for the 2024-2025 school year following months at the bargaining table.

“To the community, I want to say that our goal remains the same — to reach a settlement that will attract and retain the educators that Santa Barbara students deserve,” said SBTA president Hozby Galindo. “We are ready to do that on June 12.”

On June 12, the district and SBTA enter the fact-finding process, where each side will present its case to a three-member panel, with the chance for a settlement on that day. If no settlement is reached, the panel will issue a recommendation.

“We do not want a strike, yet the membership has spoken, and they are ready to do what it takes to reach a settlement that keeps educators in Santa Barbara,” Galindo said.

The union cannot strike until they finish the impasse process, and until their current contract agreement expires on June 30. Any strike would begin in the next school year. No potential strike date has been set.

As noted by SBTA, a number of bargaining issues were resolved prior to impasse, including improved health and welfare benefits and maintaining small class sizes, yet salary remains the primary sticking point in bargaining. SBTA wants 15 percent next year and 8 percent the following year, while the district has offered 9 percent and 4 percent. 

“The district can do better, and it will need to do better for Santa Barbara students,” Galindo said. “Students can’t afford the loss of talented educators or the pressure on the whole system when positions remain vacant.”

On Sunday, the district released a statement saying that it recognizes and values “the teachers union’s right to use all avenues provided during labor negotiations to ensure they are compensated at the highest possible salary.”

The statement continues on to say that the district has “seen and heard” the crowds of teachers coming to board meetings over the last several months, “expressing concerns over the recent impact of inflation, increased housing costs, and general cost of living in Santa Barbara as having a profound impact on their daily lives. This is true not just here in our community but nationwide.”

The district also emphasized that its wage proposal is worth $22.7 million, “one of the largest in the last 20 years.”

“We are firm in our commitment to reach an agreement, keep schools open, and let the fiscal facts lead our negotiations…. [T]he District agrees with our labor partners that something impactful needs to be done for our employees,” it said.

Santa Barbara educators have a picket line planned for Tuesday, June 11, from 4 to 6 p.m., before the regularly scheduled school board meeting. 

On Wednesday, June 12, supporters will picket again from 4 to 6 p.m. to support their bargaining team in fact-finding. Both events will occur at the SBUSD District Office, 720 Santa Barbara Street.