Teachers in black

Still, district officials hope an agreement can be reached.

Although many parents know about the negotiations - which have been at a deadlock since this summer - few know the details. Parent Angela Gomez said she heard about the standoff last week through some other moms who were rallying support for teachers. Gomez said she's not sure of the details, but that she fully supports teachers.

Since teachers aren't allowed to initiate conversations about the negotiations during school time, wearing black is way to get parents to ask questions. The strategy is working, with teachers saying many parents - and even some students - are approaching them to ask why they're clad in black.

The subtle demonstration fits with the character of most teachers, said Nancy Haskell, a teacher at Audubon and former union president. Generally speaking, she said teachers are soft-spoken and don't like to attract a lot of attention. That's why it's been difficult for them to be vocal about their demands, she said.

"Our goal with these actions is to prevent a strike," Haskell said. "We see the strike as a last resort that we're trying to prevent."

The negotiations first started when Haskell was the union president three years ago.

Talks between the two parties first reached an impasse June 2. A third party negotiator from the state has been mediating talks since Sept. 8. If the state mediator is unable to resolve the matter, talks will go into a "fact finding" stage that will be overseen by an independent committee. The district can then elect to impose its best offer on the union.

At that point, teachers can go on strike. A vote earlier this month showed an overwhelming majority of teachers said they would stand behind such an action.

The latest offer on the table was made after a 15-hour marathon session in November. The district's proposed modifications to work hours and class sizes for kindergarten and music classes were dropped, but similar adjustments at the middle school level remained. The district's previous concessions - like increased contribution to health and welfare benefits - remained intact as well.

In the meantime, teachers at Audubon continue to mourn the deadlock with their dark clothing.

"This is a way to raise awareness among parents without affecting what goes on in the classroom," said first-grade teacher Diane Kirpo.

It's just one of the many actions teachers have taken in the past few months. Since November, crowds of teachers of sporting light blue union T-shirts have become a regular presence at school board meetings. Teachers have also picketed outside schools before school starts to hand out flyers to parents. Haskell said the union is also planning to set up coffee times with parents to further inform them about the negotiation details.

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.