Dublin Teachers Strike Monday After Weekend Talks Fail

DUBLIN, CA — Hundreds of Dublin teachers picketed outside schools Monday morning as a strike by the Dublin Teachers Association began. Negotiations between the union and the district throughout the weekend on issues like raises, benefits, and class sizes failed to yield a final agreement that satisfied both sides. The district presented an offer based on recommendations from a neutral fact-finding panel, but the union rejected it, claiming it does not adequately address student needs.

Pickets began at 6:45 a.m. Monday in front of every DUSD school and work site. A rally is planned at 1 p.m. at Kolb Park, followed by “Mega Pickets” at 2:30 p.m. in front of Dublin and Emerald high schools, according to the Dublin Teachers Association.

All schools will be open during the strike and staffed with administrators and trained guest teachers, the district said on a strike website that includes FAQs, communications, and a copy of the neutral fact-finder’s report.

Elementary and middle schools will operate on shortened schedules during the strike, though Dublin and Emerald high schools will remain open during regular hours. Supervised instruction will be provided through “comprehensive grade-level packets and digital resources like i-Ready, IXL, and Khan Academy,” according to the district. No new material will be taught.

All extracurricular activities, including athletic and field trips, will still take place. Coaches participating in the strike cannot coach, and assistant coaches or administrative coverage will be provided.

See here for more information.

“The first day will be a bit uncertain as we settle into a temporary, dynamic routine,” the district said. At Dublin High School Monday morning, some protesters blocked entrances to the school and some students who tried to go to school turned around and went home, according to a social media post on an app cited in an East Bay Times report.

The Dublin Teachers Association is requesting a 3.5% salary increase, and full employer-paid coverage for individual employees. They are also seeking a full-time counselor at all elementary schools, a cap of transitional kindergarten classes at 20 students, and either smaller classes or overage pay.

The DTA, which has been negotiating with the district since September, claimed that the district has been unwilling to present them with what they consider to be a reasonable counterproposal.

“The DTA bargaining team showed up today ready to negotiate and reach a settlement. Management has refused to work towards a settlement and continues to place blame on everyone else rather than buckle down and do the hard work of reprioritizing the budget to invest in students,” the union said in a Sunday evening Instagram post.

According to an Instagram video from DTA President Brad Dobrzenski, a district representative called the union late Sunday evening to inform them that their lowered proposal would cost the district three times as much as the original proposal.

“We attempted to ask them to look at their own financial analysis they shared with us about the cost of our initial offers. We attempted to go line by line with them to ensure we were discussing and aligning on the cost to our district. Management refused to engage in building a cost analysis with us collaboratively,” Dobrezenski said. “The phone conversation ended with us asking them to please contact us if they have an actual counterproposal to discuss tonight. We remain open to bargain tonight. The proposals lie on management's side.”

In response, district spokesperson Chip Dehnert told Patch that the district believes its cost estimates are accurate and that it has already accepted the neutral fact-finder’s recommendation.

“The fact-finding process was initiated at the DTA's request. We accepted the fact-finding panel's recommendation and are ready to sign. To be clear, their recommendation was a significant compromise on the district's behalf. Even though the DTA requested a fact-finding process, they have ignored the proposal put forward. Their current proposals go well beyond what the district feels is reasonable and financially prudent,” Dehnert said.

DUSD said that it continues to follow the recommendations of an independent fact finder, even though this will strain their budget.

The district presented an offer they said would cost approximately $11.6 million over the next three years:

• A one-time payment equal to 1% of their current base salary.
• A 2.1% ongoing pay increase effective July 1, 2025.
• The district’s maximum contribution toward health care premiums will increase yearly, and reach 100% of Kaiser Single premiums effective Jan. 1, 2028.
• A committee will identify funding sources and priorities for reducing class size. If class size is not reduced by any category by the beginning of the 2027-28 school year, overage pay will be increased by 2 percent

“While the recommendations go beyond what the District initially believed was financially prudent, the Dublin Unified School District accepted them in full. We believe accepting the neutral recommendation is the responsible step in the interest of our students, staff, and community. However, doing so will require difficult financial decisions in 2026-2027, including identifying an additional $6.3 million in cuts for the 2027-28 school year,” Assistant Superintendent Matt Campbell, who will take over as DUSD superintendent in the fall, wrote in an email Sunday evening.

Campbell said that accepting the union’s offer would cost a total of $32 million, which would likely mean further cuts to staff and programs, a fate that has befallen other districts that granted union proposals. He also argued that some DTA proposals rely on potential future funding that has not yet been approved by the state, and said that Dublin teachers are already among the highest compensated in the region, according to the fact-finding report.

“We remain ready to sign an agreement consistent with the neutral Fact-Finder’s recommendations,” Campbell wrote. “We are not questioning the value of our teachers; they are the heart of Dublin Unified, and their dedication is the single most important factor in our students' remarkable success. We deeply value their professionalism and the passion they bring to our schools every day…We are simply acknowledging the fiscal challenge we face in these negotiations.”

SEE ALSO:

• Dublin Teachers Plan Strike Starting Monday
• Dublin Teachers Vote To Authorize Strike Over Stalled Negotiations