CAMPBELL, Calif. (KRON) – Members of the Campbell high school teachers associations are making their voices heard by the school board.

This is over current negotiations for salary and work conditions.

Teachers picketed outside of the Campbell Union High School District board meeting.

Both groups say this is a tough situation.

One teacher who spoke with KRON4 said that these contract negotiations are an unnecessary distraction at a time when students need even more after a year and a half of distance learning.

Dozens of community members, teachers and students showed up to show their support for the Campbell high school teachers association and even more support from afar.

High school history teacher and president of the teachers association Kim McCarthy says it’s been a tough year and a half.

“It’s just been very difficult, I’ve never heard so many teachers talk about leaving the program this year,” McCarthy said. 

McCarthy said the black balloons you see are symbolic of the black cloud over the district.

This protest is after the board and teachers association declared a joint impasse on September 29 in negotiations over changing working conditions and salary for the 2021-22 school year.

“The money that was on our salary schedule last year has not been applied to salaries this year which means that teachers are facing pay cuts,” McCarthy said. 

The teachers association says they are currently getting paid 2018-19 wages.

“We’re fighting over small scraps as a result,” Kalen Gallagher said.

School Board President Kalen Gallagher says the state isn’t giving them enough money to pay the teachers as much as they want but he does want to give them a raise to try and keep up with the cost of living.

“We want to give the biggest raise we can because our teachers have moved mountains over the last two years,” Gallagher said.

But the teachers association says district management is withholding $4,000 from the salary schedule that was previously negotiated and it’s putting them at their breaking point.

“Teachers are worried about paying bills, they’re worried about making rent, that’s unnecessary and it needs to stop,” McCarthy said. 

Some teachers will be speaking at Thursday night’s meeting during the public comment session to make sure that the board is hearing them.