Sacramento City Unified Teachers Gets Win In Salary Dispute; Strike Still An Option

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Sacramento City Unified teachers got a win in their salary dispute with the district Thursday, but it may not be enough to avoid a planned strike.

An arbitrator ruled in favor of the teacher's union over a salary increase for mid-career teachers.

David Fisher with the Teachers Association said the educators are pleased with the arbitrator's ruling.

"We look forward to working with the District to implement the arbitrator's award immediately and hope that this decision encourages the District to honor our contract going forward," Fisher said.

READ ALSO: Teachers Prepared To Strike Again At Sacramento City Unified School District

The district said it was disappointed in the decision as it struggles with a $35 million budget gap and a possible takeover by the state. The district said the decision will cost them more than the 3.5% maximum increase they had agreed to in their budget.

"It will have negative implications on our budget situation and we are now carefully reviewing the details of his decision to assess how much our financial obligation will increase by and the impact of this decision on our current financial challenges," the district said in a statement.

Despite the ruling, the teachers may still stage a one-day strike on May 22. The union said the district still is not honoring another agreement to reduce class sizes and hire more counselors.