Laguna Beach

Talks between representatives of the Laguna Beach Unified School District and the union representing the district’s non-teaching workers stalled again Monday when a mediation session broke off after two hours.

Supt. Bill Barnes said the session “didn’t go very well for either party.” Steve Balentie, field representative for the California School Employees Assn., agreed. “We didn’t get anywhere,” he said.

As with a previous mediation session March 19, negotiations broke down primarily over the issue of job security.

The session also foundered over the pay differential between the clerical, custodial and food service workers employed by Laguna Beach Unified and their counterparts in other Orange county school districts. Laguna Beach’s non-teaching employees earn 3% to 9% less than the Orange County median. A district offer Monday of a 4% cost-of-living increase, plus a one-pay-grade raise for all classified employees, totaling about 6.5% overall, was rejected by the union.