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Teacher talks yield progress but no deal is imminent
by John Tawa
A Friday bargaining session between Manhattan Beach school teachers and the school district produced no labor agreement, but there was some reason for optimism as the two sides retreated from extreme positions in the hopes of striking a deal.
"At least an offer is on the table," said teachers association president Linda Fredricks. "We're at least talking. That's a step in the right direction."
Fredricks said that the teachers have been trying to get the district to negotiate a new labor agreement with them since July, when California Governor Gray Davis passed a budget giving school districts in California an additional $1.8 billion more in funding than last year. For Manhattan Beach, that amounts to more than a 10 percent increase - approximately $2.65 million - to its General Fund.
The teachers, whose contract with the school district expired at the end of June, had demanded the full increase plus 10 percent to get a deal done. The district, on the other hand, had not made any concrete counterproposal until Friday, indicating that it wanted to wait to see how comparable districts were paying their teachers. The district, however, had been clear that giving the teachers the full amount of the General Fund increase was not an option in light of budget constraints and the generous 4.89 percent increase it gave last year.
On Friday, the district offered to immediately increase pay for teachers by three percent while negotiations continued. It also offered to substitute the Palos Verdes salary schedule, with the 10 percent increase that teachers there recently negotiated for 2000-2001. The district also offered to add an additional 1.5 percent, ensuring that all Manhattan Beach teachers would be paid more than Palos Verdes teachers, but required an additional three work days commensurate with the agreement in Palos Verdes.
The teachers rejected both proposals. They declined the 3 percent bump to avoid negotiating piecemeal, Fredricks said. And they rejected the Palos Verdes proposal, contending that it did not treat all Manhattan Beach teachers equally.
"It absolutely is divisive to teachers," Fredricks said. "It is good for some teachers, not good for others. It pits one group against another."
Fredricks said that the Palos Verdes salary schedule helped longtime teachers and those with Master's degrees, but hurt teachers with only 10-20 years' experience and those without advanced degrees.
"Whatever settlement we come to has to be good for all teachers," she said.
The teachers countered the district's offer by dropping their demand to a 15 percent across the board salary increase, which the district said it could not pay, but it was apparent that they were looking for settlement in the 10 percent range.
"We want all the new monies that were intended to attract and retain teachers," said bargaining team member Bill Fauver.
Another negotiating session is scheduled for tomorrow, at which time the teachers are expected to submit a new proposal. ER