Teachers Unhappy With Pay Proposal

By Sherry Saavedra, The San Diego Union-Tribune

Jan. 25–CARLSBAD — Well over 100 teachers clad in black attended last night’s school board meeting to share their discontent over Carlsbad Unified’s pay-increase proposal: a 1 percent raise on top of a 2.3 percent increase negotiated last school year.

The Carlsbad Unified Teachers Union had proposed a 7 percent raise, which it lowered to 6.9 percent in negotiations earlier yesterday.

Walter Freeman, assistant superintendent of business services, said the Carlsbad Unified School District’s proposal would give teachers a total pay raise of 3.3 percent this academic year.

However, the union is only considering the offer a 1 percent raise because 2.3 percent was a carry-over from last year, said Frank Caso, communications consultant for the California Teachers Association, which is aiding the local union in its talks this academic year.

For the 2005-06 school year, teachers received a 3 percent pay increase. An additional 2.3 percent raise was negotiated to take effect this year, partially in exchange for a restructuring of health benefits.

Laura Bowen, president of the Carlsbad Unified Teachers Association, said what makes the district’s latest offer especially frustrating is that the district has received more than $5million in additional state money this academic year.

“In spite of the increases in funding to this district from the state, your assistant superintendent of business services has found a way to boldly state the district has already allocated all of the $5.3 million, except for $377,000, and to find more now would require a budget reduction,” she told the board.

Freeman, the assistant superintendent, said much of the new money had been allocated to other categories. However, he said, yesterday was the first day of negotiations, and the district told union representatives that it would review whether money earmarked for other categories could be reduced and used for raises.

“I think the district had made the best offer it can at this moment, and it’s a good-faith offer until some budget adjustments can be made,” Freeman said before the meeting.

Caso said the average pay increase in 30 out of 42 San Diego County school districts that have settled their contracts this year has been 5.62 percent.

“For parents in Carlsbad and taxpayers, it’s going to be very challenging to get new teachers to come to a district that traditionally underpays their educators,” he said.

Freeman said he didn’t want to comment on how Carlsbad Unified stacked up against other districts because he hadn’t seen the numbers.

Negotiations between the union and district will continue.

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