A long-running labor fight in a South Bay school district has come to an end after teachers approved a new contract that will help get after school programs back on track after 16 months.
After a over a year of back-and-forth between San Jose's Evergreen School District Teachers Association and the school district, teachers agreed to a contract that includes 4.5 percent in raises over the next three years, smaller class size and keeping art class for fourth through sixth grade classes.
“Parents can now see that keeping class sizes smaller is directly tied to approving the parcel tax,” said Brian Wheatley, the president of the Evergreen Teachers Association.
Wheatley said teachers were inspired by the national #RedForEd movement that advocated for better school funding and increasing wages for teachers.
Prior to the new agreement, teachers refused to work after hours, which affected after-school activities like sports teams.
