Simi School District, Teachers Halt Negotiations

Negotiations came to a halt Thursday morning after representatives of the Simi Valley teachers union declared an impasse, saying that union and school district officials could not agree on a new contract.

The Simi Educators Assn. will contact a state mediator who will “sit down and listen to both sides,” said union President Bill Davenport.

There are no plans now for the 800 or so teachers and nurses to picket or strike, Davenport said.

“I’m still hopeful things will work out,” he said. “But if they don’t, we will go to the membership to get authorization to do certain things.”

Assistant Supt. Leon Mattingley, who represents the Simi Valley Unified School District on the bargaining team, would not say which issues have been resolved during the negotiations, which began in January.

“It’s difficult to assess how far we are apart,” Mattingley said. “There’s a whole contract at issue.”

Neither side would disclose the details of Thursday morning’s meeting, which broke up early after the district presented its latest response.

Although the two sides could continue to talk, no future bargaining meetings have been scheduled, and it is unknown when the state mediator will arrive.