After more months of attempting to negotiate a new contract with its faculty association, the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District on Feb. 14 informed teacher negotiators of a decision to call in outside help.
Carl Lange, a negotiator brought in by the district, told the Sun his clients are planning to file a declaration of impasse with the California Public Relations Employment Board.
“We’ve met, we’ve tried to reach an agreement, and we’ve been unsuccessful,” Lange said. “The way we’ve been doing it is not really getting us anywhere. It’s time to change the dynamic.”
Lange, who’s been negotiating labor contracts for 46 years, said it’s the next logical step in the negotiating process. Lange has worked on the labor side of things, the administrative side of things, and for the state.
“The parties seem to be far apart in the core subjects that matter to them,” Lange said. “I’ve seen impasses declared after one day, and I’ve seen impasses declared after two years.”
After the district files a declaration with the employment board, the state makes an independent decision on whether the two parties are stalled out. If the state determines the district and faculty association can make no further progress on their own, a mediator from the state would be appointed to meet with both parties.
A statement released by the high school faculty association said the “district’s paid negotiator” refused to bargain during negotiation sessions held on Feb. 14.
The talks were held after the last bargaining sessions, which took place over Feb. 3 and 4. The association’s statement said the district’s latest proposal offered no changes from the previous one.
“The district’s current proposal is designed to silence the voice and actions of the teachers,” faculty association president Mark Goodman said in the statement. “The Faculty Association has bargained in good faith and made real attempts at compromise. We stand ready to continue negotiating.”
This article appears in Feb 20-27, 2014.
