PLACENTIA YORBA LINDA : Union Protests at Trustees’ Meeting

Members of Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District’s classified employees union picketed this week’s Board of Education meeting, angry at the rejection of their latest contract proposal.

About 100 classified employees protested on Yorba Linda Boulevard and Casa Loma Avenue, carrying signs calling for a fair contract from the district. When the meeting started, they filed in to hear California School Employees Assn. labor relations representative Luci Cormier address the board.

“We were never told at the table why our proposal was unacceptable to the district, nor were we offered an alternative proposal,” Cormier said, speaking of a proposal presented last month. “The district just rudely replied they were not interested and left the table.”

Tim Van Eck, assistant superintendent for personnel, said the union’s proposal just rehashed issues that were already settled.

“I consider it a slap in the face that you brought back, as substantial movement, issues that had already been settled,” Van Eck said.

The issues in dispute concern benefits, with the union seeking a guarantee that the district will continue to fully fund the cost of health benefits. The district has said it cannot do that.

Negotiations between the California School Employees Assn. and the district ended in October when a fact-finding panel ruled largely in favor of the district’s offer to the union, which contained no wage or benefit increases. The classified employees have been working without a contract since August, 1992. Although the district is not obligated to continue negotiations, it did agree to consider the new proposal last month.

The union represents about 825 employees, including bus drivers, secretaries, clerks and other non-teaching employees.