Inglewood : Teachers Picket Schools

Almost all of the Inglewood Unified School District’s 627 teachers picketed their schools before and after classes Wednesday to protest the school board’s decision to back out of a tentative salary agreement.

The teachers, who marched in front of each of the district’s 19 schools, were joined by parents and students at some of the campuses. No classes were disrupted.

“These pickets are to let district officials know that we are serious about going out on strike,” said Jacques Bernier, executive director of the Inglewood Teachers Assn., which represents about 90% of the district’s instructors.

More than two-thirds of the teachers union voted last week to go on strike if the school board did not agree to a three-year contract that would increase instructors’ salaries by 7% each year. Union officials say a walkout could occur as early as next Tuesday if an agreement is not reached.

School trustees were prepared to approve such a contract, but changed their minds when Gov. George Duekmejian’s budget provided a 2% increase in state education funding rather than the anticipated 4% or 5%. District officials have offered another three-year contract that would provide a 7% raise for the first year and subsequent raises tied to annual increases in state funding.

The teachers union suggests that district officials dip into lottery funds or eliminate costly extracurricular programs to cover instructors’ salaries.