“These ideas did not go nearly far enough, and … came with huge concessions our team knew our members would never stand for,” the union said in a statement. “We remain prepared to hear any real solutions the district may formally bring to the table that will stabilize our district for our students, educators, and families.”
Over the next week, the fact-finding panel, which is made up of a representative for the union, district and neutral chair, will issue its non-binding recommendations. The district will also make the union a final offer.
This brings the union closer to a strike than it has been in recent years, according to Curiel.
She said the union is still willing to negotiate with the district, but that it “has not shown any actions that lead to actual attempts to avoid [a strike].”
“[Since] the last real proposal that we were passed, [it] has been months,” she said. “The district could change that effort. We’re taking steps to be prepared.”
The current strike vote, which ends Wednesday, appears all but guaranteed to pass, after an initial vote in December received a whopping 99.3% approval from members.
In the first three days, more than 4,250 members turned out to cast ballots, according to UESF.
“This is an incredible show of strength and unity,” the union said in a statement. “The urgency of our demands has never been clearer.”