ANAHEIM : Non-Teaching Staff: Sickout Not Planned

Representatives of Anaheim City School District’s non-teaching employees said that a sickout Wednesday, which caused hundreds of children to be stranded without morning bus drivers, was a spontaneous reaction to Tuesday’s contract negotiations with the district.

Negotiators for both parties held their first meeting Tuesday with a state mediator who has been called in to help resolve the 9-month-old contract dispute.

“The employer presented a new proposal which we believe was regressive in nature,” said A. Alan Aldrich, a field representative for the California School Employees Assn. The employees “were definitely not happy about that.”

Supt. Meliton Lopez said 99 employees participated in the sickout. Seventeen drivers were involved, causing children from eight Anaheim elementary schools to be about two hours late for class.

“It took us a little while to get them there,” Lopez said. “We were surprised. There was no way we could have prepared.”

Aldrich said the absence of some of the 700 non-teaching employees was not an “organized or concerted” action.

He said the employees have planned a “sick-in”--during which they work regular schedules but voice their concerns and problems about the contract--when negotiators are scheduled to meet again Tuesday.

Employees have been picketing regularly at the twice-monthly school board meetings.

The employees and the district have been negotiating the new contract since June. The district is offering a 6% pay hike, and the employees are asking for 7%.