The bargaining teams representing Culver City Unified School District management and the Culver City Federation of Teachers (CCFT) have declared an impasse in negotiations regarding furlough days for the 2010-11 school year.

The move came after the latest round of negotiations ground to a halt Monday, March 22 with no agreement in place. Management is seeking straight five furlough days for themselves, certified staff and classified employees across the board, while the CCFT negotiating team has countered with a proposal calling for management to take eight unpaid days, certified staff five and classified employees three.

“I just think this is very unnecessary,” said CCFT President David Mielke during the CCUSD Board of Education meeting Tuesday, March 23. “We’re three days away from having an agreement on furlough days.

“It makes no sense for us to drag on bargaining for the next six, seven weeks waiting for a mediator.”

Mielke also remarked that CCFT had agreed to take five furlough days — a claim that drew a sharp rebuke from Steven Gourley, CCUSD’s board president.

“We made an offer. The offer was rejected. There is no agreement on the table,” Gourley said.

Dr. Myrna Rivera Coté, CCUSD’s superintendent, lamented the uncertainty that a lack of an agreement will cause for the district as it continues to examine ways to trim from its 2010-11 budget.

“I’m disappointed because we could be much further down the line,” Coté said. “I could have a much clearer picture of the next steps fiscally (with a furlough agreement).”