Morgan Hill Unified School District still hopes for labor
dispute resolution without mediation from state board
Morgan Hill – Morgan Hill Unified School District officials are saying they’re not at an impasse with the Service Employees International Union, which represents about 300 classified employees.
But SEIU Chair Pamela Torrisi told a representative of the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) that the two groups are indeed at an impasse, unable to reach an agreement on a labor package for the 2006-07 school year and have become deadlocked with the next step being mediation.
Classified employees and district officials cannot agree on a new labor contract; SEIU members have been working without a contract since July.
MHUSD Assistant Superintendent Jay Totter said Friday that the district is “hopeful” the groups will not have to resort to mediation to resolve their differences.
“Even though the SEIU has notified PERB of their declaration of unilateral impasse, the district is still hopeful that there is an opportunity to meet with SEIU and continue to gather information and do collaborative problem-solving,” he said.
The SEIU, the lowest-paid group of district employees, is asking for a 5 percent increase in their salaries in addition to an increase in benefits. They point to the other district groups – the Morgan Hill Federation of Teachers, the Morgan Hill Educational Leaders Association and district yard duty workers – who have already received a 5 percent increase in pay and say it is only fair their group receive the same raise.
Superintendent Alan Nishino also received a 5 percent pay raise.
The district has offered SEIU employees and 8 percent raise in total compensation over a two year period, which includes a 4 percent salary increase for this school year, with the provision that union members will work an additional day, and a 2 percent increase in benefits; for next year, the benefits would be increased by 2 percent, employees would work two additional days, and a salary increase could be negotiated, Nishino said.
Nishino said the reason the Morgan Hill Federation of Teachers have a benefits increase outside their 5 percent salary increase is that the union accepted a three-year proposal last year that the SEIU turned down. He said teachers “paid for” their raise because students were added to classes at the high school level, some department chair positions were taken away, and teachers gave away their cash back option.
Totter said the SEIU extended an invitation recently to MHUSD Board of Education trustees to meet individually with SEIU representatives, but a board decision was made not to do so.
“The board of education declined SEIU’s offer to met with them, but there may be an opportunity for district representatives to meet with the SEIU representatives to gather further info on behalf of board members,” he said. “District representatives are trying to remain true to the process, to respect the process and work with the SEIU within that structure.”
Torrisi was unavailable for comment by presstime.
Marilyn Dubil covers education and law enforcement for The Times. Reach her at (408) 779-4106 ext. 202 or at
md****@*************es.com.
