CALABASAS : Las Virgenes Union Proposes 3-Year Pact

A union representing the Las Virgenes Unified School District’s classified employees has proposed a new three-year contract that would give 8% pay raises to about 275 employees and 20% raises to about 75 others whose salaries would be upgraded.

The Board of Education is reviewing the proposal and will soon present its own contract offer, district officials said. The two sides will then meet to work out a compromise.

The Las Virgenes Classified Assn. represents food service employees, custodians, gardeners, maintenance workers and office and clerical workers. Its current contract expires June 30.

District officials said that they want to be sure they understand what is called for in the union proposal before commenting, said Assistant Supt. Donald Zimring.

The district has completed preliminary cost estimates of some of the more expensive elements in the proposal, said Zimring. An 8% raise would cost the district about $450,000 over the three years, he said. Another item, which would require the district to pay full benefits for employees, would cost the district about $263,000 over the life of the contract.

The proposal comes at a time when the district is facing an anticipated budget deficit of $500,000 this year, according to district estimates. Union officials say they will take the district’s fiscal condition into consideration.

“We are not going to bankrupt the district,” said Audrey Meyers, co-president of the classified employee group, which has about 350 full- and part-time members. She said the money could be taken out of the district’s “healthy” reserve fund.

According to the district, there is about $1.5 million in the reserve fund, which can be used for any purpose.