Beverly Hills : Teachers’ Charges Upheld

An administrative law judge of the state Public Employment Relations Board has found the Beverly Hills Unified School District guilty of unfair labor practices against the Beverly Hills Education Assn., the union representing 300 teachers in the district. The charges stem from the recently settled negotiations over a 1985-86 contract.

Judge Barry Winograd ruled against the district on six of eight counts and found that the district failed to negotiate with the teachers in good faith. Two charges were dismissed. The district has until Tuesday to appeal the judge’s decision.

“This underscores what we said all along, that the board was not negotiating in good faith,” said Jacques Bernier, negotiator for the teachers. “We hope they won’t do this the next time when we meet at the negotiating table.”

The charges focus on the district’s refusal to grant several teacher sabbaticals and efforts by the district to change the policy involving complaints against teachers. Both issues were resolved in recent negotiations, but teacher representatives decided to press the charges anyway.

“We are not pleased with the findings that we acted unfairly, but we are pleased at the fact that two charges were dismissed,” said Walther Puffer, assistant superintendent.

On another matter involving a dispute between the district and teachers, a state arbitrator ruled that the district did not violate the teachers’ contract when it reduced the number of school nurses last year.

The arbitrator also found that the district did not violate the contract when it refused to grant personal leaves to teachers who wanted to conduct union business.