CSUN University News Clippings

However, the head of the teachers union is threatening a work stoppage early next year, saying the prospect of no raises along with proposed furlough days is inadequate.

“(LAUSD is) looking at a strike in January or February,” said A.J. Duffy, president of United Teachers Los Angeles.

This month, the district and the teachers union reached an impasse in contract talks. In October a state mediator will seek a compromise between the two sides.

Last year, all district employees received a 6 percent raise. School police, sergeants and lieutenants got a 10 percent raise, with district officials citing their law enforcement status and a need for more competitive salaries.

Two years ago, many nonteaching employees received a 2.5 percent raise.

Seven unions, with 11 bargaining units, represent most of LAUSD’s 84,000 employees. The contracts are for three years, but the timing between teachers and administrators and all other employees is not concurrent. Current contracts with teachers and administrators run through 2009.

However, all of the union contracts include provisions that allow negotiators to return to the bargaining table once a year.

David Holmquist, LAUSD’s chief operating officer, said that aside from the teachers, tentative agreements have been met, or negotiations are in progress, with the district’s six other unions.

“This is a difficult year for us,” Holmquist said. “It’s not a good year for employees to look for incremental increases.”

District officials estimate a 1 percent raise for all employees would cost approximately $40 million.

LAUSD employee unions, however, have united to try to maintain their fully funded health-care benefits.

“We did take a zero wage increase for 2007-2008 and will be fighting fully for health benefits,” said Teamster representative Connie Oser.

“The push is to maintain benefits as they currently are. We’re all negotiating together on that.”

But Holmquist said the district can no longer afford to pay the entire cost of its employees’ health premiums. The district will propose that employees pay a portion of the cost, along with larger co-payments.

“Sixteen years ago, health and welfare benefits were not that expensive, but medical inflation has been dramatic,” Holmquist said.

Michael O’Sullivan, president of the Associated Administrators of Los Angeles union, said his group is not pushing for more pay this year.

“It’s one time when they say there’s no money, and I think they’re right,” he said.

Duffy said teachers’ relatively low wages have led to a turnover rate of about 50 percent every seven years for teachers with less than 25 years’ experience.

And he called on the administrators union to question wage disparities between principals and teachers.

“We don’t pay our teachers enough, but that is not to be misconstrued as we pay our administrators too much,” O’Sullivan said.

“In the best of times, pay would be egalitarian, but what happens in the classroom is paramount.”