Teachers Union Complaint Dismissed

A state board has dismissed an unfair labor practices complaint filed by a teachers union against the Moorpark Unified School District.

The complaint, lodged with the Public Employment Relations Board by the Moorpark Educators Assn., alleged that the school district arbitrarily set the dates for the first day of school without negotiating with the union.

Along with ongoing contract negotiations, the school-year schedule has been a point of contention between the union and the school district.

The state board ruled last week that the union’s complaint was unsubstantiated, school district Supt. Thomas Duffy said.

“It’s a pretty simple matter, but it’s something,” Duffy said.

Referring to the continuing negotiations, which began last spring, Duffy said, “I really wish we could get all of this settled.”

The teachers union vowed to appeal the decision.

“It may be a small matter, but it’s important,” union President Richard Gillis said. “We have this problem all the time with the district where they violate the rules, and we finally had to say, ‘Enough is enough.’ ”

Gillis said the contract negotiations between the 250-member union and the school district were “going nowhere.”