TEACHERS PROTEST SALARIES IN BLACK CONTRACT STALEMATE LASTING 17 MONTHS.Byline: Naush Boghossian Staff Writer GLENDALE - About 400 Glendale Unified School District The Glendale Unified School District is a school district based in Glendale, California, United States. The school district serves the city of Glendale, portions of the city of La Cañada and the unincorporated communities of Montrose and La Crescenta. teachers wearing all black to protest a stalemate stale·mate n. 1. A situation in which further action is blocked; a deadlock. 2. A drawing position in chess in which the king, although not in check, can move only into check and no other piece can move. tr.v. in contract negotiations attended Tuesday's school board meeting, demanding officials meet their proposal for a salary hike. The board was scheduled to discuss the ongoing negotiations in closed session, but teachers said they attended the meeting to send a message. ``We have met with the district 25 times and bargained in good faith over 60 proposals. What disappoints us the most is the lack of progress,'' said Virginia Karanfilian-Yammine, bargaining chair for the union and a teacher at R.D. White Elementary school elementary school: see school. . The Glendale Teachers Union, which represents 1,400 members, has been negotiating a new three-year contract with the district for the past 17 months and they are at a standstill standstill /stand·still/ (stand´stil?) cessation of activity, as of the heart (cardiac s.) or chest (respiratory s.) . stand·still n. Complete cessation of activity or progress. on one major issue: salary. The previous contract expired in June 2003 and the last time Glendale teachers received a raise - 1.14 percent - was in 2001. Teachers are requesting a salary hike between 3 to 4 percent - including a 2.41 percent cost of living increase - but the district is offering somewhere between 2 and 2.41 percent, said Sandra Fink fink Slang n. 1. A contemptible person. 2. An informer. 3. A hired strikebreaker. intr.v. finked, fink·ing, finks 1. To inform against another person. , president of the Glendale Teachers Association. ``What we are asking for is reasonable, within the budget of the district and won't bankrupt the district. What they're offering is below what we believe is reasonable,'' Fink said. District officials are saying they can't afford the pay hike because declining enrollment means more belt-tightening. ``What we're looking at is long-term. We're in the process of declining enrollment, which is heavily impacting our budget,'' district Superintendent District Superintendent may be:
Teachers argue that the Glendale district has 11 percent of its budget in reserve funds, when they are required to have only 3 percent. ``We know they have money. It makes you start to wonder why they say they can't afford to give us a decent raise,'' Fink said. Crescenta Valley The Crescenta Valley is a small inland valley in Los Angeles County, California. Its name derives from its crescent-like shape, with the convex portion facing roughly northeast and the concave portion southwest. High teacher Allen Freemon said the district is sending a message to teachers and the community that teachers are not a priority. ``We deserve to have respect. Does the district want to stonewall stone·wall v. stone·walled, stone·wall·ing, stone·walls v.intr. 1. Informal a. behind the guise of fiscal responsibility?'' he asked. Teachers wore all black on Tuesday to demonstrate without disrupting instruction. Last week about 70 percent of the teachers participated in the silent protest, Fink said. Escalante is hopeful both sides will come to an agreement soon. Naush Boghossian, (818) 546-3306 naush.boghossian(at)dailynews.com |
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