Riverside, Unions Still Negotiating

Riverside School District teachers and many other workers were without contracts when school started last week, and negotiations to end the stalemate with one of the two unions are going poorly.

Working without a contract is familiar for the teachers’ union. The three-year contracts are usually renewed after school starts.

But the classified employees’ union is working without a contract for the first time in recent memory, a union representative said, and negotiators are angry.

“I’m going to stand put, and I don’t care if we go into a year later,” said Barb Scott, president of the union that covers janitors, bus drivers and all other non-teaching staff. “We just want to keep our jobs and perform our jobs.”

The classified union is mad that the school district is considering subcontracting bus services. Representatives from Laidlaw and Mayflower have met with the district, and administrators are studying the issue.

The negotiations holdup, Scott said, was ensuring jobs for all current employees in the new contract.

“(Superintendent) Jerry Wilson hasn’t even been at our bargaining table,” said Scott, a bus driver.

Assistant Superintendent Terry Weinmann said recent cuts in state and federal funds hampered bargaining.

“The district funds have been really tight, so it’s made negotiations more difficult,” said Weinmann.

The teachers’ union is more concerned about “being treated like professionals,” said negotiator Mark Vannatter, a high school math teacher.

The union wants changes in preparation time for elementary school teachers and adjustments in medical benefits.

The delay, although not unusual, is irritating, Vannatter said. Negotiations started in June.

“We’d sure like to have to not get to the school year to get these settled,” said Vannatter.

Weinmann said negotiations with the teachers’ union are “cordial.” A meeting is scheduled for today..

Neither union is considering striking.

, DataTimes