SANTA PAULA : Teachers Offer New Contract Proposal

School trustees in Santa Paula Friday were studying a new teachers’ proposal designed to end an impasse in contract negotiations.

A representative for teachers in the Santa Paula Elementary School District declined to reveal the proposal’s contents. Teachers had at first demanded an 8.03% increase in wages. The district had countered with 5.03%.

The dispute grew hotter this week as teachers refused to perform any extracurricular duties for which they are not specifically paid. Parents stepped in to help prepare for a Science Fair scheduled for today.

Supt. David Phillips said the tactic has had little impact on the district. But Ken Kleveland, vice president of the Santa Paula Federation of Teachers, said the slowdown has been effective in pressuring the district.

After submitting the new offer Thursday night, Kleveland said Friday that he believes a strike may be inevitable. The teachers’ current three-year contract expires June 30.

The board first wage increase offer of 5.03% was retroactive to Sept. 1, 1989, costing a total of $376,666 for 144 teachers. The teachers’ federation asked for 8.03%, retroactive only to Jan. 1, a proposal that was rejected by the board.

Of major concern to the teachers is how their wages compare to those of teachers in other county districts, Kleveland said. Newly hired teachers, who start at $20,120, make an average of $1,000 more a year than their county peers. Those who have worked in the district for five years receive $800 more, but 10-year veterans receive $500 less.

Twenty-year veteran teachers are paid $1,200 less a year than their peers elsewhere in the county, Kleveland said. The scale tops out at $39,936 for those who have received all step increases.