TEACHERS PLAN FOR POSSIBILITY OF FEBRUARY STRIKE.

Byline: Harrison Sheppard Staff Writer

With contract negotiations dragging on, teachers throughout Los Angeles met with their union representatives Wednesday to begin plotting a series of steps that could culminate in a massive walkout by Feb. 27.

United Teachers Los Angeles is already starting to advise members on how to prepare for a strike.

Wednesday, union leaders passed out fliers with the headline ``Surviving a strike financially: Dealing with creditors'' and also handed out blank picket signs and informational packets.

``Nobody wants to strike - we all want to settle this ,'' said UTLA Vice President Becki Robinson. ``That is our goal, but if we don't get there, we'll be on the streets, and we have to prepare for it.''

Last week, union leaders set Feb. 27 as a tentative strike date, if negotiations fail.

They also plan an informational picket Dec. 6 as a sort of ``dry run'' for a strike, and a candlelight vigil with labor and religious leaders Nov. 30.

Local chapter leaders were urged to hold picket-sign parties in the next week and start writing letters to school board members.

District officials, however, are confident that a strike can be avoided.

``We believe that this thing can be settled and we can give all of our employees a fair amount of money,'' said Joe Rao, chief of staff for Superintendent Roy Romer. ``Because all of them bring value to our youngsters.''

The two sides are scheduled to meet Friday as well as Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday next week, although Romer and UTLA President Day Higuchi are not expected to participate in those discussions.

Also, West Valley regional union chairs passed a resolution Wednesday asking the union to start a citywide effort to oppose the creation of a position in the school district for Mayor Richard Riordan.

The mayor said recently he has talked with Romer about creating a position in the field of technology for him to fill after his term expires next year.

``We're a school district that doesn't have enough teachers in the classroom, we don't have enough classroom space,'' said Gregg Solkovits, the Valley West area chairman. ``The last thing we need to do is create more bureaucratic positions. There's no demonstrable need for the position, other than for people on the school board to reward the man who put them on the school board.''

The resolution now goes to the union's house of representatives for consideration.

Rao said nothing definite has been set yet regarding the mayor working for the district or the nature of his position.

``I think the mayor has been very supportive, so I'm quite surprised they would even do something like that,'' Rao said.

HEADED FOR A SHOWDOWN?

With a tentative strike date of Feb. 27, the Los Angeles Unified School District and United Teachers Los Angeles are locked in negotiations to try to craft a new teacher contract. Here's a summary of each side's position:

The district's latest offer, presented in September, includes raises of between 15 percent and 20 percent over three years. It also seeks to give administrators more power in determining teachers' assignments to grade levels and tracks. It also wants teachers to work an extra three hours a month.

The union's latest counterproposal rejects any attempts at removing teachers' abilities to determine their own assignments based on seniority. The teachers are seeking a 15 percent raise in a one-year contract.

Before a strike can occur, a series of procedural steps is required, including both sides declaring an impasse in the contract talks, and the failure of an outside fact finder to help produce an agreement. The district's best final offer must be presented directly to the membership. If the teachers reject it, they can go on strike.

- Daily News

CAPTION(S):

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Box: HEADED FOR A SHOWDOWN (See text)