Norwalk : No Progress in Wage Talks

This week’s bargaining session between teachers and administrators of the Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District did nothing to resolve the ongoing salary dispute. “Absolutely no progress was made,� said Richard A. Ruether, executive director of the Teachers Assn. of the Norwalk-La Mirada Area.

The district has offered a 3% wage increase for the year, less than half the 8% demanded by teachers, who returned to classes last month without a contract. Ruether has promised that teachers will not strike this year, but he said some teachers are boycotting extracurricular activities and restricting their class preparations to the classroom. As a result, Ruether added, students may have a longer wait to get graded papers back.

In a related matter, the teachers association has endorsed three school board candidates in this fall’s election, bypassing the two incumbents running for another term. Sal Ambriz, Bruce Butler and William Campbell have all received the teachers’ backing. Ruether said the union withheld support for incumbents Lucille Colln and Nancy Jenkins because of the salary stalemate and because they had approved special programs at the expense of teachers’ wages.