Whittier : Both Sides Still Far Apart in Rio Hondo Pay Dispute

The Rio Hondo College teachers union and administrators made little progress during contract negotiations last week and will meet again Nov. 30 to try to iron out their differences, representatives from both sides said.

“We’re still far, far apart,” said Tim Wood, the college’s vice president for administrative affairs. “I am not optimistic it (the dispute) is going to end soon.”

If the two sides cannot come to an agreement next Thursday, they will have to wait until next year to meet again because the state-appointed mediator will not be available in December, Wood said.

Owen Newcomer, president of the faculty association, said the teachers’ morale is plummeting, although they are not planning to go on strike, at least for now.

The disagreements center mostly on salary increases for the faculty. The teachers, whose contract expired June 30, are requesting an immediate 12% raise, a 10% raise next year, and an 8% raise for 1991-92. College administrators are offering an immediate 7.5% raise, a 5.5% raise for next year, and a 5% raise for 1991-92.