Day 3: District 60 teachers continue to strike, meeting in the works
Protesters in support of the District 60 teacher strike showed up to picket Wednesday, marking the third day of the strike.
The protesters dressed in pink plan to start marching at the administration building, walking along the Pueblo Riverwalk and ending at Mineral Palace Park by noon.
District 60 Superintendent, Charlotte Macaluso, said she is unavailable to talk Wednesday, so union members are working with the district to schedule a time to meet. Suzanne Ethredge, the President of the Pueblo Education Association, did request a meeting for Thursday at 8 a.m.
“Enough is enough,” said Ethredge. “We need action taken.”
For the third day in a row, the district stood by their offer made last Friday.
“That is the most current offer we have on the table at this point,” said Dalton Sprouse, the district spokesperson.
With no indication either side will be willing to compromise, many are wondering what will it take to reach a solution? Here’s what both sides want:
The district has offered a two-percent stipend, which is roughly a one-time bonus of $1,000 for all teachers.
What teachers want instead is a two-percent cost-of-living adjustment, similar to a yearly bonus.
“We’re not asking for much, we just want a livable wage, I just want to pay my bills,” said Leonardo Gomes, a teacher protesting in the strike.
But the district made it clear it doesn’t have the money to offer all teachers a yearly raise.
“We’d have to utilize reserves to pay for those increases, and that’s simply not a funding formula that we can practice,” said Sprouse.
The district also included a $50 contribution for insurance premiums and a 2.25-percent cost-of-living adjustment. But union members argue that won’t solve their current problem.
“We don’t want to play that game,” Ethredge said. “We want to resolve this contract … and then move on to next year’s.”
If the protest does go on for more than a week, it’s likely grades 6-12 in some schools will be required to extend classes into the summer.
