Teachers, District Say They’re Deadlocked, Will Seek Mediation

Deadlocked over such key issues as pay and teachers’ decision-making powers, United Teachers-Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Unified School District on Thursday announced they will ask for a state mediator to help resolve a contract dispute.

Representatives for both sides said they plan to contact the state Public Employment Relations Board this week to seek an official declaration of an impasse. That would lead to the assignment of a state-appointed mediator whose role would be to try to speed up the bargaining over a new contract. Negotiations began nine months ago, and the last contract, which ran for three years, expired last June.

“We’re not getting anywhere,” United Teachers-Los Angeles Vice President Marvin Katz said Thursday. “We’d like to hurry the process and find out if the district is really serious about having a contract.”

Associate Supt. Gabriel Cortina said that the district notified all teachers Thursday that district and union officials mutually agreed to seek impasse and that it hopes progress will be made through the mediator. The district also is reminding school principals to monitor whether teachers are shirking any of their mandatory duties to protest contract issues.

Since school started in September, the union, which has 22,000 members but bargains on behalf of all 32,000 of the district’s teachers, nurses, counselors and psychologists, has urged teachers to boycott many of their traditional duties--from school and parent meetings and yard supervision to giving standardized tests--until a satisfactory contract is achieved. The district, in turn, has threatened to dock the pay of teachers who participate in the protest actions and has filed unfair labor practices charges against the union.

Union spokeswoman Catherine Carey said Thursday that the union also will be asking teachers to withhold from school administrators copies of the 10-week pupil report cards, due out on Nov. 16, which contain mid-term grades, attendance marks and other teacher comments. The union is providing teachers with similar forms to fill out and provide only to students and parents.

By using the alternative forms, “Teachers will have done their professional and ethical responsibility,” Carey said. “The district simply won’t have any record.”

The union recently rejected a district offer to raise teacher pay by 17% over three years and is holding firm to its demand for a 12% increase this year. Also in dispute are union proposals to eliminate teachers’ non-teaching supervisory duties and provide elementary instructors with a paid preparation period.