The Tahoe Truckee Education Association and Tahoe Truckee Unified School District have come to an agreement, ending months of bargaining negotiations and curbing possible summer fact-finding hearings and a potential fall strike.

“After the disruption that the community has been through due to COVID-19 and the uncertainties of a fluctuating real estate market, which has driven the cost of everything from milk to gas to lumber through the roof, the idea of putting our members and the community through three to five months of fact-finding through the summer was not what was best for them,” said Tahoe Truckee Teachers Union President Jess DeLallo during Wednesday’s school board meeting.

“To be very clear, we don’t think that this settlement values our work, and it is less than what we think TTUSD can afford. But we do think that it is the best that we are able to get this year.”

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Under the agreement, the teachers in the union will receive a 2% ongoing salary increase, which is retroactive to July 1, 2020. Additionally, teachers will receive a $2,500 one-time payment, which will be funded primarily with In-Person Instruction Grants. The total cost of the agreement, according to the district, will be $1,389,339 for fiscal year 2020-21. That amount includes the cost of the one-time payments. The agreement for the fiscal year 2021-22 is projected to cost $602,895, increasing to $623,117 for fiscal year 2022-23.

“The (Tahoe Truckee Education Association) and (California School Employees Association) will begin negotiations again with the district in early fall to address any ongoing and or one-time pay amounts that would presumably be effective retroactively to July 1, 2021,” said Tahoe Truckee Unified School District Board President Kim Szczurek in an email.

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The teacher’s association, which represents nearly 300 members, ratified the final offer on Friday, June 11.

“We don’t have faith at this point that even with a favorable fact finding report that TTUSD would provide us with a fair offer,” added DeLallo. “After this year of disruption to our students, we as an association of educators refuse to jeopardize the start of a normal year in the fall for our community with the specter of starting the year with a strike. Even if TTUSD is pushing us towards that outcome.”

Justin Scacco is a reporter for the Sierra Sun. Contact him at jscacco@sierrasun.com or 530-550-2643

Fiscal impact of agreement
2020-21	2021-22	2022-23
$1,389,339	$602,895	$623,117