Union negotiators and school officials have decided there is no
impasse in their negotiations after all, and will head back to the
table in August to discuss a new contract for San Benito High
School teachers.
Hollister – Union negotiators and school officials have decided there is no impasse in their negotiations after all, and will head back to the table in August to discuss a new contract for San Benito High School teachers.
Talks between San Benito High School teachers and the district were halted in late June when Don Balfour, the district’s chief negotiator, declared the two sides had reached an impasse. Negotiations stalled over disagreements concerning proposed health benefits for teachers.
Balfour had planned to file paper work with the Public Employment Relations Board last month in order to get a state mediator to oversee the negotiation process, but after conversations between teacher’s union president Chuck Schallhorn and Superintendent Jean Burns Slater, both sides agreed that the impasse declaration was unnecessary.
“Impasse is a lengthy process that stalls negotiations,” Balfour said. “This is a good thing because I think both sides are very close to ratifying the contract.”
Balfour said a contract would not be ratified before the start of the 2005-2006 school year because many teachers and administrators are on vacation and members of the teachers union would have to vote on acceptance of the contract.
“The tone from the CTA is this can be worked out,” Balfour said. “I’m real confident that we’re going to get this done soon.”
Schallhorn agreed with Balfour that it would be impossible, logistically, to finalize a contract before the start of the school year.
After a series of conversations with Superintendent Slater, Schallhorn said he agreed to talk with Balfour and both decided to forego the impasse process.
“I personally thought we were pretty close before, so I think we can get it done this time,” Schallhorn said. “I know both sides want to get a good contract as soon as possible.”
SBHS teachers began negotiations with the district for a 3-year employment contract in January, after working for nearly a year under the terms of the previous, expired contract.
Until recently Schallhorn, the school’s Social Science Division Chair, had been the union’s lead negotiator. After he took over recently as president of the California Teachers Association local for SBHS, union bylaws prohibited him from continuing in that position. Government teacher Mitch Huerta will now take over as lead negotiator.
Schallhorn replaced former union president Clete Bradford, who had held the position for five years.
Schallhorn said the recent changes in the union leadership will mean a change in the style of the August negotiations, but not in the substance.
“My biggest effort will be with communication,” Schallhorn said. “Keeping everybody in the loop as much as humanly possible. A more informed constituency will make better decisions.”
Brett Rowland covers education for the Free Lance. He can be reached at 831-637-5566 ext. 330 or [email protected].
