District, teachers may be near deal

Monday, July 1, 2002 | 10:34 a.m.

Clark County School District's lead negotiator said this morning he is "optimistic" that contract talks with the teacher's union are moving forward.

School district officials and representatives from the Clark County Education Association were supposed to begin offering testimony in an arbitration hearing June 20. However, by law the arbitrator can order the two sides to again try mediation within the arbitration process. The final ruling on the contract dispute will come from the arbitrator, officials said.

"We're a lot closer than we were," said Edward Goldman, superintendent of the district's southeast region and lead negotiator. "We're hopeful when we meet again next week we'll bring this to closure."

Talks will resume July 11, Goldman said.

Neither Goldman nor the union would discuss the terms of the deal on the table. Sources close to the process said the district is offering a 2 percent pay hike plus a contribution of $9 million to the teachers' health fund. The teachers were guaranteed the 2 percent by Gov. Kenny Guinn.

Teachers have expressed their frustration with the district over the contract talks, which began last August and were suspended in December for a lack of progress. In the three previous years the two sides have wound up before an arbitrator.

John Jasonek, executive director of the teachers union, said he believed arbitration may still be necessary this year to settle salary and benefits.

"We're only going to get so far," he said. "These are serious issues, and I think we need a third-party perspective."