Playing a Numbers Game
By Ms. Gualtieri’s count in her second story Grade Two classroom, where several adults were seated on student chairs, the numbers were eye-popping for those who supported accepting a five percent raise for the past two school years. For a union where labor contract voting has been light in recent years, the turnout of 278 teachers — about 65 percent of membership — was impressive. They voted 227 to 51 to accept the terms reached only after at least two false-start settlements. Mr. Mielke attributed the sizable voter turnout to the fact that for the first time in recent years on-site balloting was offered instead of restricting it to a single location.
Criticism of School District Strategy
“One of our problems,” said the president of the Teachers Union, “is that the School District let all of last school year pass without putting any money on the table.” Even though two important numbers are unknown for the next school year — the state budget and District enrollment — Mr. Mielke is hoping to get a drop on autumn negotiations by starting preliminary talks in June. He promised that the beginning point in bargaining for teacher salaries will be whatever the average ends up being for proposed pay hikes for the 52 members of the District’s management team.
Retroactive Pay ‘Is Wrong’
Mr. Mielke said he does not understand the School Board’s indicated intention of making the management team’s second raise of the present school year retroactive to last September. “It does not make sense,” he said. “This school year is over. We have already worked it. What does it mean? Why would they be getting another raise? The District says they are underpaid. Well, teachers are underpaid, too. Why in the world would you feel a need to go back and give away that money when it could be spent on these kids next year?”
School District officials declined comment until they had been formally notified by the Teachers Union.
How They Voted
Here is the school-by-school breakdown:
Yes No
Lin Howe School 18 3
El Marino 16 16
El Rincon 21 3
La Ballona 29 2
Farragut 22 0
Adult School 8 0
Child Develop. Office 12 0
Middle School 55 2
Culver City High 35 25
Culver Park/Ind. Study 5 0
District Office 6 0
Total 227 51
