CUHSD teachers put pressure on board during contract talks
Teachers association brings new proposal to district Sept. 13
By Steven Raphael
Campbell Union High School District board members got a surprise at their Sept. 8 meeting, when about 200 picketing teachers showed up. The teachers are negotiating with the district over the terms of their contract for the upcoming year.
"Basically, what this is all about is we want a pay raise so we can be competitive with surrounding districts and attract bright, energetic teachers to our district," explained Lloyd Gillespie, Campbell Educators Association (CEA) president. "So, we made ourselves visible to the public with signs stating our reasons for being upset."
According to Gillespie, as the result of a 12,000-teacher picket in Sacramento, Gov. Gray Davis released $1.8 billion of unrestricted funding to schools. A portion of this funding is expected to be allocated for teachers.
Gillespie said district teachers are upset because CUHSD is offering its teachers significantly less money than neighboring districts.
"All the school districts in the state have settled on double digit percentages [of the state's money to be given to teachers]," he said. "Our district is not wanting to make us the number one priority."
Entry level salary for a CUHSD teacher is currently $31,000, and the teachers would like to see it raised to $38,000, which is what teachers in neighboring districts earn, according to Gillespie.
"We're worried about the future," Gillespie said, expressing concern that the best teachers wouldn't choose to teach at CUHSD due to lower salaries and the high cost of living. Teachers are also angry that administrators got a larger raise than teachers did last year, said Gillespie.
Negotiating teams have met three times without reaching agreement. However, according to Gaylene Hinkle, a spokesperson for the district, this is not unusual. In the past when CUHSD has negotiated with teachers, negotiators have met between six and 12 times before reaching an agreement.
Hinkle said the negotiations are particularly difficult this year due to the large amount of money being discussed. She refused to comment on the district's position.
After talking to the teachers, representatives of the CEA will bring a proposal to the district on Sept. 13.
During negotiations, teachers are working as usual. Both Hinkle and Gillespie acknowledged the possibility of a strike, but said the situation is still far from that point. Hinkle said if negotiations break down, the next step will be to bring in a mediator.
Campbell, California
