It’s Talking Time in Tustin

Teachers in the Tustin Unified School District are back in the classrooms after a six-day strike, but nothing else has changed. They still are working without a contract, at the lowest pay in the county. The school board is still insisting that it doesn’t have the money to meet their pay demands. Worst of all is the bitterness that has marked the first strike in the district’s 113-year history continues.

In voting last Wednesday to return to work, the teachers’ union emphasized that the strike was only suspended, not over. Teachers authorized the union to resume the strike at any time. The teachers also voted to work to unseat the two board members who are running for reelection Nov. 5 and to seek the recall of the other three trustees.

The board, assuming an intransigent posture, broke off negotiations with the teachers’ union Sept. 26 after presenting its “final offer.” Its members now say that they are willing to explain details of that offer but can’t resume negotiations because “there’s nothing left to negotiate.” They maintained this position after 1,600 people showed up at a hearing last week, a great many of them to urge that negotiations continue.

One key issue centers on teacher demands for a retroactive pay raise for the 1984-85 school year, a demand the school board has rejected. But at this point the growing bitterness is the real focus of the dispute. Bill Honig, the state superintendent of public schools, noted the “very bad feelings” on both sides and said that both sides had allowed the bargaining process to get out of hand. “The last thing we need is bad blood, “Honig warned. The board and the teachers should heed that admonition.

In recent days there has been a lot of shouting, a lot of shrill statements and accusations, threats and posturing, but not much communication. What’s needed now is for both sides to lower their voices and start talking to each other instead of about each other.

Maybe semantics is the real barrier to communication. The school board refuses to reopen “negotiations.” If “negotiate” is a word to be avoided, then the parties should avoid it. The district and the teachers must meet--to talk, discuss, bargain, converse, chat, parley or whatever they want to call it.

What’s important is that they meet and seek the common ground of compromise that will equitably end the present divisiveness and distraction so that they can begin working together as a team toward the one goal they share--providing the students and the district with quality education.