[Editor’s Note: Mr. Mielke, the President of the Teachers Union, filed this report to his constituency after the latest contract negotiating session.]
Hello again —
Your Culver City Federation of Teachers bargaining team met again on Monday with the Culver City Unified School District management team.
We have hit a wall, and both teams agreed to declare that negotiations were at “impasse.” We will seek the help of a state-appointed mediator to try to break the stalemate.
The main sticking point: Management refuses to agree to our progressive furlough day structure.
We had agreed to take the five furlough days CCUSD proposed — but only if management employees take eight days and classified employees take three.
We were prepared to sign off on that structure on Monday, and we were surprised that it was rejected. Highly-paid managers could have taken those additional three days during July or August, with minimal effect on our students’ progress. But that proposal was rejected.
CCUSD responded by offering us two options:
One option was that we accept five furlough days for each of the next TWO years.
The second option called for a tiered furlough structure based on income. According to their proposal, no manager would have to take more than seven furlough days while some teachers would have to take as many as six unpaid days.
Mileage allowances would remain!
If this unproductive polarization reminds you of the U.S. Congress, you are not alone.
Why CCUSD won't simply ask its managers, many of whom work a 12-month schedule and enjoy fat mileage allowances, to take three additional furlough days, is a mystery to me.
What happens now is that the state will appoint a mediator to help resolve these issues. Many other districts are in the same boat, having difficulty in agreeing to concessions.
So it may be several weeks before a mediator becomes available.
This is happening at the worst possible time, of course, with LAUSD threatening to pull permits from our students.
We may have as many as 1,500 permit students from LAUSD in our schools, and the loss of the revenue they generate could exceed $5 million.
In this climate, why would CCUSD choose to play hardball with its teachers instead of asking its managers to take just three more days off?
Mr. Mielke may be contacted at davidmielke@ccusd.org
