Local News in Brief : Teachers in Bonita District End Strike
Schoolteachers in La Verne and San Dimas returned to the classroom Monday after the executive board of the Bonita Unified Teachers Assn. voted to end a strike that began Thursday.
The strike, in which about 70% of the district’s 370 teachers participated, was hailed as “very successful” by teachers association President Dan Harden. But Supt. Duane Dishno said, “The problems and issues that led to this strike still remain and still need to be resolved.”
Teachers are seeking a 6.2% salary increase. District officials have offered a 3.8% raise, calling it “our best and final offer,” Dishno said.
The teachers association waited until Sunday evening to call off the strike, after the district had already notified the more than 200 substitute teachers it used last week to be ready to work Monday, Dishno said. As a result, the district will deduct the cost of retaining the substitutes--more than $15,000--from the paychecks of striking teachers, he said.
Such a wage garnishment would be illegal, Harden said, adding the union will file suit against the district if it proceeds with the plan.
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