Teachers in Claremont Stage Strike : 1-Day Walkout Presses Contract Dispute With District
Teachers at 10 of 11 schools in the Claremont School District staged an orderly one-day strike Friday to press their contract dispute with administrators.
Of the district’s 245-member teaching force, 160--about 65%-- were absent from their classrooms Friday morning, district officials reported. Many of those were picketing outside the schools.
Because the teachers had given the district 48 hours notice of the strike, substitutes were hired to fill every position at each school, administrators said, adding that student absenteeism of about 25% was slightly above normal for a Friday.
Another Possible
The strike was planned to last only through the day, although picket organizers hinted that another may be planned for next week if teachers’ demands are not met.
In West Covina, where teachers struck Wednesday and Thursday, negotiations between administrators and teachers were on hold for the Memorial Day weekend. Teachers have said they will return to the classroom when school resumes Tuesday, and a negotiating session is scheduled for Wednesday.
Teachers in both the West Covina and Claremont districts are striking for higher pay. Salaries for teachers in the Claremont district range from $19,423 to $32,682. The California Teachers’ Assn. is seeking a 7.2% increase for the Claremont teachers, while the district is offering a 5.5% raise.
No date has been set for the resumption of the Claremont negotiations.
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