Torrance : Early Retirement Dropped

In another economy move, trustees of the Torrance Unified School District have voted to eliminate an early retirement program for non-teaching employees at the end of the 1987-88 academic year.

A similar program for teachers also will be dropped by the district, which is making a wide range of staff and program cuts or reductions to offset a projected $2.8-million deficit in next year’s budget.

Howard Lawrence, an organizer for the California School Employees Assn., has vowed to file an unfair labor practices complaint against the Torrance district, claiming that it violated state law by eliminating an employee fringe benefit without first negotiating with the union.

The district began offering the program several years ago as an inducement to older employees to retire early during a period of declining student enrollment.