LOS ANGELES : New Complaints Cite Both District, Teachers Union

A state labor relations agency has issued a new round of complaints against the Los Angeles Unified School District and its teachers union, alleging that both sides have engaged in bad faith bargaining.

The Public Employment Relations Board will determine whether the district bargained in bad faith when it agreed to a controversial “mutual protection” clause in contracts with six of its other unions. The agreement prevents the district from making a better deal with the teachers union than it made with its non-teaching employees. United Teachers-Los Angeles contends that the agreements illegally restrict the district, which is still negotiating the teachers’ contract.

Last Friday, the agency also issued complaints against the union. The complaints state that the union bargained in bad faith by failing to make a counter-offer to the district’s proposal on salary reductions, making demands that affect the jobs of other employees and reneging on an agreement that led to an unsuccessful court attempt to halt the salary cuts.

The issues will be resolved by an administrative law judge on Jan. 19. The judge’s decision must be approved by the agency board and can be appealed to state courts.