SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO : Teachers Ratify New Pact; Bitterness Told

Settling more than a year of strife-ridden negotiations, unionized teachers in the Capistrano Unified School District have ratified a new contract but vowed to increase pressure on the district for better terms next year.

The new one-year contract, ratified by 63% of 908 members of the Capistrano Unified Educators Assn. who voted last week, will give teachers a retroactive pay increase of 7% for the first four months of the current school year and an additional 0.5% for the remainder of the school year.

Union president Ric Stephenson said that although the contract was approved, bitterness remains with most teachers, who have demonstrated several times in past months.

“I wouldn’t say that it was an overwhelming endorsement,” Stephenson said of the ratification vote. He said the votes against ratification “ . . . represented the highest disapproved vote in our history and does demonstrate a significant degree of disaffection.”

Stephenson said a majority of union members remained dissatisfied with the pay increase, a discipline clause and health benefits.

With less than two months before the new contract expires, Stephenson said a union contract committee will meet on Monday to discuss strategy for the next round of talks.

Noting the length of time it took to reach an agreement, Stephenson said: “We will not engage in the same process again next year. It was way too drawn out and too draining on the emotional and physical resources of the teachers.”

The school board is scheduled to vote on the ratified contract at its June 4 meeting, and retroactive checks should be ready for mailing by June 29, Stephenson said.