Barely two months after winning a hard-fought contract battle, the Inglewood Teachers Association received a Grinch-like holiday gift from the district board of education - a reversal of the agreement they had ratified in October.
"We're shocked and stunned," says ITA President Kathy Stewart. "Our members were on the brink of a walkout last fall until we reached a fair and equitable agreement. We are not going to take this lying down, and neither will the community."
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Inglewood teachers hold a candlelight vigil outside their school board meeting. |
ITA had been working without a contract for two years. In September, a neutral factfinder issued a report supporting ITA's demands and its analysis of the district's ability to fund a salary increase. Amid rising pressure and the threat of a strike, the district finally settled, authorizing a two-year retroactive salary increase of 5 percent. Both ITA and the Inglewood Unified School District Board of Education ratified the agreement, seemingly bringing the dispute to an end.
When the board released its preliminary budget for education, however, the salary increase was not there. When challenged on the issue, the board cried poverty.
ITA is pursuing all available remedies. "Not only is the board's move illegal, but it's totally unnecessary," says Stewart. "The money is clearly there to fund the raise."
ITA members geared up quickly to force the board to honor its word. Wearing black armbands, teachers held a candlelight vigil outside the Jan. 14 board meeting. Several other rallies have been scheduled.
"We're working on building even more community awareness," says Stewart. "I don't know anyone who's not supportive of the teachers in this fight. We're going to prevail."
Frank Wells
