Photograph by Jeff Kearns
Signs of the Times: From left, teachers Vince Nicoletta and Ken Schwab of Leigh High School and Christina Salinas and Jennifer Paxton of Del Mar High School picketed in front of Prospect High School Sept. 28, a day after teachers and district officials deadlocked in salary negotiations last week.
District, high school teachers reach impasse in contract talks
Teachers want increase in state funding to go to salaries, but district says funds aren't there
By Steven Raphael
After a fifth negotiating session between teachers and the Campbell Union High School District proved fruitless, the two parties declared an impasse on Sept. 27, stating that they are unable to reach an agreement. Now, a state mediator will step in to try and get the talks back on track.
In the meantime, a financial fact-finding team will meet to determine what financial resources are actually available. That team is composed of representatives from the district and the teachers association, a finance expert from the California Teachers Association and a financial consultant from California School Services.
This year, the district budget is significantly larger than normal, thanks to an increase in state funding approved by Gov. Gray Davis.
"This year, we have allocated more money than we've had for many, many years," Farber said. "I think what's sad is that we're fighting at a time when we have money to give."
But, the district doesn't have enough money to give the teachers the amount they want, Farber said.
Both the teachers and the district hope the fact-finding committee and mediation will validate their claims and bring about a speedy resolution to the situation.
"I believe, right now, the students are suffering, and many teachers are suffering," Farber said. "My hope is that this is solved quickly and we provide the best education for the students of CUHSD."
However, if an agreement cannot be reached, some say teachers may strike.
"I'm certainly hoping that we can settle this without a strike, but I'm not optimistic about a settlement right now," said Royce Peterson, the primary negotiator for the teachers. "I've been in this district a very long time, and we've never gone on strike. But, I've never seen the teachers this angry and frustrated."
As a sign of their growing displeasure, the teachers have begun picketing and handing out information to parents at board meetings and back-to-school nights. Additionally, they have instituted a work-to-rule policy, limiting their participation exclusively to those activities outlined in their contracts.
"There's no question teachers go above and beyond the call of duty. They do it all the time," Superintendent Rhonda Farber said. "The people that get hurt by work-to- rule are the students."
But, according to Peterson, the teachers are trying to protect the long-term interests of students.
If CUHSD can't offer competitive salaries, Peterson explained, it will not be able to keep the best teachers. "The entire math department at my school has said if they don't get a competitive salary, they'll go elsewhere," she said.
Peterson points to Eastside Union High School District, a neighboring district in San Jose that gave teachers a 13 percent raise this year. Since salaries at Eastside are already higher than those at CUHSD, Peterson said, it is essential CUHSD act now to stop the gap from widening.
"We've had teachers that have been very unhappy for a number of years," Peterson said. "So, that's why we have to do it this year while the money is there."
The teachers also express frustration over district administrators receiving higher raises than teachers. Last year, administrators received a larger raise than teachers by nearly 1 percent, and this year, they are expected to receive slightly more than what has been offered to experienced teachers.
"They say we're a No. 1 priority," Peterson said. "But they sure don't act like it."
The teachers have asked for a salary increase more than 16 percent with no cap on benefits. But that's a sharp contrast with the district's proposal.
The district has offered three options: an 11 percent salary increase with $5,000 annual limit on health premiums; a 10 percent salary increase with $6,500 annual limit on health premiums; or an 8.42 percent salary increase with no limit on health premiums.
All three options would give entry-level teachers a bigger raise than experienced teachers. According to district spokeswoman Gaylene Hinkle, this is a direct response to input from teachers, who have repeatedly expressed concern about the district's ability to attract new teachers.
However, an unequal raise will only create new problems, Peterson said.
"The problem with doing that is that our starting salary is more competitive than our salary for older teachers, so, after five years, teachers would switch to other districts," she said. "We would be training teachers and then they would leave."
The teachers are also opposed to the cap on benefits. But, according to Superintendent Rhonda Farber, there is a limited amount of money for salaries and benefits--and any increases to one must be at the expense of the other.
"We have to work within a budget. What we've got is a pie of money," she said. "It's how do you slice that pie. The total compensation remains the same."
The infusion of state money represents an overall revenue increase of 9 percent for the district, according to Farber. She said the district's current offer to the teachers includes the full 9 percent of state money, as well as money from several supplemental sources of revenue, such as lottery funds and interest earned from the district's general fund.
Farber said these sources are inconsistent, bringing in a lot of money one year and very little the next. For this reason, the district is hesitant to rely too heavily on them.
However, according to Peterson, the money is available and the real question is one of allotment, not availability. "They're trying to get us to agree to a cap on benefits," Peterson said. "But, even with the cap, the amount of money they're trying to offer isn't near what we would accept, considering how much the governor sent to be used for teacher salaries."
Peterson said it's time for the district to put their money where its mouths are.
"They've said all along that teachers are a No. 1 priority," she said. "But every time they create a budget, they seem to forget that."
Campbell, California
