HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. – Hundreds of teachers and their supporters took to the streets in an effort to send a message to the Huntington Beach Union High School District Superintendent and Board of Trustees Tuesday evening. The teachers are asking for respect and for a fair contract. 

The rally began an hour before the board of trustees’ meeting and ended within the boardroom. The teachers, all dressed in red t-shirts, filled the rows of seats inside the boardroom and overflowed out into the hallway. 

The teachers have been working without a contract for the 2018-2019 school year while contract negotiations have been going on for 14 months. 

“It’s been a lot different than it used to be. We used to be able to sit at a table, collaborate and work together and solve problems. For the past cycle here, it’s been much different. We’ve been bringing ideas to the table, but we’ve been met with resistance,” said Don Hume, an English teacher at Marina High School. 

Hume has been a part of the Huntington Beach Union High School District Educators Association (HBUHS DEA) for 18 years and has been on the negotiating team for five years.

“A contract defines a lot of things. It defines how many children we have in our classrooms. It defines how long our work day is, what we do outside the classroom beyond teaching. To work without a contract sort of leaves everything kind of up in the air,” said Hume. 

He says a basic way to understand what’s going on is to mentally picture a pie. The state increased its funding for the district, which makes the pie larger. However, Hume says the slice of pie that goes towards teachers’ salaries hasn’t increased with the state budget. The teachers also want to have a two-year contract option. Currently, the school district is offering three-year contracts. 

The teachers affected by this are educating students at Edison High School, Fountain Valley High School, Huntington Beach High School, Marina High School, Ocean View High School, Westminster High School, Valley Vista High School, Huntington Beach Adult School and Coast High School.

Both sides will meet again on Wednesday, May 22, at 9:00 a.m. at the Huntington Beach Union High School District building to negotiate.