Negotiations continue between teachers and Calexico Unified School District

CALEXICO, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) - Teachers and the Calexico Unified School District (CUSD) are moving into their third round of mediation as part of the impasse process.

Teachers have been demanding a pay increase for months now. 

The most recent meeting revealed teachers are more concerned with getting a pay raise from 2017 through 2020 as opposed to getting new health benefits. 

Bob Nelson is an elementary school teacher in Calexico who explained that teachers are not concerned with health benefits as much as they are concerned with receiving a fair salary.

"That is three years that have passed, pay up, you are desperate to give us a cap, forget the cap, take care of those three years, give us the raise that we deserve," said Nelson.

If teachers still are not in agreement with the district after the impasse then they will have to decide whether or not to go on strike.

Alex Limon is the public information officer for the district. She says the district is doing everything possible to ease tensions and reach an agreement.

“We remain hopeful that the impasse can be settled, that is the brightest outcome that we have that this is settled,” she said.

The district says it's had private meetings with the teachers union and a mediator from the state. If a resolution is not met, teachers will need to decide what to do next, that could include a physical strike.

Even though a strike is not an option at this time, students say teachers are already stressed as it is.

The next mediation meeting will be sometime in February. Both sides told KYMA they can't share meeting details due to a confidentiality agreement.

This could leave all of us in the unknown for a few more months before a resolution is reached.