Teachers ask school board back to negotiating table

April 21, 2010

Teachers at Monday's school board meeting say they want the district to come back to the bargaining table. (KTUU-DT)

by Ashton Goodell
Tuesday, April 20, 2010

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- At Monday night's school board meeting, Anchorage teachers said they're at an impasse in contract negotiations and asked the school board to come back to the negotiating table.

Teachers say Anchorage is no longer competitive with other districts in the state. Talented teachers point at high turnover and inadequate benefits and are asking for a reason to stay.

Ten teachers, all with different backgrounds, drove home the same point at the meeting.

"The ASD school board must plan for salary increases," said Marilyn Pillifant.

If the district won't increase salary and health benefits, teachers say they will walk, but whether that means all will strike or a few will quit is unclear.

Teachers predict the district won't be able to keep qualified teachers.

"If the rotation continues to go, when the young teachers come in every five years, pretty soon they aren't going to have anybody to look back to, to grow with, because that's what we as teachers do. We collaborate, we talk to each other, and we learn from each other," said Renee Wade.

The current contract is about to expire in June, and teachers say one-third of Anchorage School District teachers can only look forward to a severely compromised retirement system.

Teachers also say the proposed contract moves away from incentives for professional development.

"I have two children that have now become teachers: one at East High and one at West High. It breaks my heart to tell them, ‘Run, run as fast as you can from this district,'" said Karla Griswold-Gallagher.

The negotiation process slowed down late last month when the district and the teacher's union started talking salaries and benefits.

Both sides met with a mediator, which helped, but the teachers say those talks didn't satisfy them.

"There has been a pattern in our bargaining that has been adversarial, long, drawn out and has created bad feelings on both sides. I know, because I've been here," said teacher Margaret Gaston.

The Anchorage School District wouldn't comment Tuesday, saying it's still in negotiations. But in a March interview Human Resources Director Eric Tollefsen said both sides were working to find a middle ground.

"The process is always somewhat difficult when we do negotiations, but it's been very professional this time around. Both sides have their proposals, we've worked through a number of issues already, the financial issues are the issues that always tend to be last," he said.

The school district and teacher's union would not comment Tuesday. Both cited ongoing negotiations.

Both sides tentatively plan to go back to the bargaining table later this week. They hope that will be the end of it. If not, an arbitrator will give a non-binding determination.

If an impasse occurs, the final report would be released sometime late this summer.

Contact Ashton Goodell at agoodell@ktuu.com

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