School Employees Agree on Contract

In one of the shortest salary negotiations in recent Simi Valley school history, representatives for the district’s 980 classified employees agreed on a new contract Friday after only five sessions.

The Simi Valley Unified School District and the classified employees’ union reached agreement for a new contract calling for a 2% raise for this year, retroactive to July 1, 1995, and for next year as well.

“Since I’ve been here in 5 1/2 years, I don’t remember any contract being settled this quickly,” said Leon Mattingley, assistant superintendent in charge of personnel and the district’s chief negotiator.

The raise is very similar to one that the district teachers received in their negotiations last year.

Mattingley said details are also being worked out that would allow employees to donate sick days to a bank for catastrophic leave. He said both parties had essentially agreed on that provision as well.

He credited recent workshops that emphasize truth and fairness in negotiations for the speedy resolution.

“I think the workshop allowed us to be more open and honest with each other,” Mattingley said. “It helped us resolve differences by dealing with the issues and not emotions.”