Tustin Teachers Protest Stalled Contract Talks

Protesting 18 months without a contract, about 40 Tustin Unified School District teachers picketed before a school board meeting Tuesday night.

Sandy Banis, president of the Tustin Educators Assn., told the marching teachers that it may become necessary to go on strike again. “We hope we don’t have to go to Day 7,” she added, referring to six days that the teachers were on strike in October.

The teachers have been without a contract since July, 1984. The teachers union has demanded a 6.3% pay raise retroactive to last year and an 8.1% pay raise this year. The school board’s last offer, before talks broke down in September, was for an 8.2% pay raise this year and “at least 4%” next year.

Negotiations are now centered in state-sponsored fact finding, which will result in a contract recommendation to both sides, expected in February.

At the school board’s meeting Tuesday, several parents and teachers criticized the board for the long delay in getting a pay raise for the teachers. One parent said citizens are considering a recall movement against three members of the board.