Strike solidarity

"This has really brought teachers together," said Ayme Zlatnik, who teaches at Fiesta Gardens International Elementary School.

With 20 elementary and middle schools throughout the San Mateo-Foster City School District, teachers don't always get to interact with each other. There are also great disparities in academic test scores of the schools and the quality of the facilities vary greatly. All those differences disappear when teachers focus on negotiations, Zlatnik said.

"It's all about the contract," she said. "Nothing else seems to matter."

Yesterday's stroll is just one way to show the district the solidarity among teachers, said Turnbull teacher Mark White.

A survey by the teachers' union showed the majority 583 educators in the district are ready to strike if necessary. Fiesta Gardens teacher Carla Torres said some teachers are still fearful of going on strike.

Superintendent Pendery Clark has said the district is preparing to keep schools open with substitutes if necessary.

A third party negotiator from the state has been mediating talks since Sept. 8. Last week, the two parties made their cases to an independent fact-finding committee. Although the committee has 30 days to issue a response, the committee will most likely make a statement much sooner.

Once the statement is issued, the district can then elect to impose its best offer on the union. That's when teachers could go on strike.

Strike talks have been circulating throughout the community since contract negotiations came to a standstill in the summer. The face-off centers around a few key issues; student case loads and the layoff of guidance counselors.

The district's proposed modifications to work hours and class loads for kindergarten and music classes have been dropped, but similar adjustments at the middle school level remain. Aspects of the district's previous proposal - like increased contributions to health and welfare benefits - remain intact as well.

Earlier this month, parents got into the mix when they rallied in front of both the district office and the headquarters of the teachers' union. The idea behind the parent rally was not to take sides, but to encourage a dialogue between the two parties that would finally bring the matter to a conclusion.

Yunmi Choi can be reached by e-mail at yunmi@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 109. What do you think of this story? Send a letter to the editor: letters@smdailyjournal.com.