SIMI VALLEY : Panel Asked to Settle Teacher Labor Battle

The Simi Valley Unified School District and the union that represents its teachers are asking a neutral fact-finding panel to help settle a labor dispute.

Negotiations between the two groups have been dragging on for a year while teachers have been working without a new contract.

The Simi Educators Assn. and the district called in a mediator last spring after talks first broke down, but could not reach a solution. The two groups met again earlier this week, but still could not come to an agreement.

The district’s latest proposal provides for a 1% wage increase for last year and a 2% increase, plus a 2% bonus for this year. But union representatives have rejected the proposal, saying that other settlements are in the 3% to 4% range.

Other sticking points between the two sides include an early retirement plan that union leaders say is not attractive enough to encourage veteran teachers to retire, and a proposed “fair share agreement,” which would require all teachers to pay association dues, whether or not they are members.