SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO : Teachers Withdraw Pay Hike Demand

The financial woes of Capistrano Unified School District, brought on by the Orange County bankruptcy, have persuaded the teachers not to seek a wage increase in the contract just negotiated with the district.

The teachers have been working without a contract for almost a year. The 18-month pact, which must be approved by the district board, is retroactive until last July 1 and will expire in December.

The teachers union and district officials agreed to postpone larger-scale negotiations until after the end of this year, when the contract ends, according to a proposal to be considered Monday by the school board.

But the contract will allow both sides to review the district’s finances in August to determine if pay raises might be a possibility then, said Lois Anderson, president of the Capistrano Unified Education Assn. The union represents about 1,350 teachers, counselors, psychologists and other certificated employees.

Last June, the union submitted a contract proposal that would have cost the district about $4 million. Among other things, the proposal sought a reduction in classroom sizes and 3% cost of living raise for teachers.

The county bankruptcy has forced officials to find ways to cut at least $4.4 million out of the district budget for fiscal 1995-96.