Beverly Hills Teacher Talks Stalled

Talks between Beverly Hills teachers and the school district adjourned Sunday night with no resolution.

As the nine-hour negotiation session at district headquarters ended, teachers, who had been marching around the offices, waved flashlights and chanted, “Teachers, united, will never be divided!”

Parents planned a rally for this morning in front of Beverly Hills High School to demand a settlement of the district’s first-ever strike, which enters its third week. Talks will resume Tuesday.

The district on Sunday offered teachers an 11% pay increase over two years, plus this year, a part of any funds raised by the community, to be shared with other district employees, as a one-time bonus.

In 1990-91, the district would give that same bonus amount if a parcel tax proposed for the June ballot were passed.

Previously, the board had offered 11% over two years and said it would pass along to employees any parent contributions.

A tax on each parcel of land in Beverly Hills would raise about $2.5 million for the district, school officials say.

Teachers’ negotiator Bill Gordon said the union lowered its pay demand, by 2%, to 16% over two years.

“In the last analysis, the board is not willing to compromise at all,” he said. “This is a suicidal board that is going to let this district go down the tubes to save their own egos.”

But school board President Dana Tomarken reiterated the district’s position that it has no more money.

“Unlike the federal government, we cant mint the dollars,” she said.

Albert Gersten, a leader of Children First, said the parent group has collected $500,000 in checks and pledges to go toward paying half of any pay hike over the 11%.