Teachers' Union Agrees to Pay Cut

Ninety-one percent of Murrieta teachers have agreed to a pay cut, according to a vote count late today.

In total, 657 teachers voted on the labor agreement, Murrieta Teachers Association President Kathy Ericson told Patch. That's out of 930 teachers, she said, some of whom did not turn out to vote.

Teachers agreed to take a 3.17-percent salary reduction beginning July 1, and an up to 6.49-percent hit later in 2012-2013—if necessary.

As a result, the equivalent of 66.6 full-time teachers have avoided layoff after being issued pink slips earlier this month.

Pay reductions will be seen in the form of furlough days, which means the district also moved to adjust its student attendance calendars for the remainder of this year and for 2012-2013.

Students will attend school 176 days this year, down from 179. The last day of school will be June 1, according to the approved calendar. In 2012-2013, school will start Aug. 21, as teachers have agreed to take five furlough days in the beginning of the school year. The last day of school will be June 11, 2013.

Ericson said most of the remaining furlough days—if they need to be taken—fall after the November election.

"Because if the tax initiative passes we won't need to take them," Ericson said. "We are doing the best to keep our kids in the classroom, so that they are not feeling the cuts that are being handed to our district."

In July 2011, the Murrieta Valley Unified School District restored furlough days after education funding received a bump from Gov. Jerry Brown.

Board members are expected to ratify the teachers' agreement during a tentative meeting set for 8:45 a.m. Friday, according to District Spokesperson Karen Parris.

Ericson said at that time the board is expected to rescind the layoff notices, as that was part of the agreement.

The decision from the majority of teachers comes a day after the school board ratified a labor agreement with its classified workers union. Eighty-nine percent of classified—or support—employees voted to take an up to 9.66 percent reduction in pay, 2.16 percent of that to take effect immediately.

To read more about the employee agreements and district budget projections, click