Marcos Breton: Sacramento City teachers union runs the show
Published: Wednesday, May. 19, 2010 - 12:00 am | Page 1B
As labor relations lurched toward an impasse in the Sacramento City Unified School District this month, the top negotiator for the city teachers union was on vacation in Europe.
Manuel Villareal is clearly not afraid of anything.
To him, schools Superintendent Jonathan Raymond is a pipsqueak. Raymond says the district can soften the blow of a $30 million budget deficit if teachers agree to three furlough days a year and accept doctor visit co-pays of more than a dollar.
Yeah, sure. This union has outlasted much bigger fish.
Years ago, the late Joe Serna – then Sacramento mayor – made a big splash by challenging the power structure of Sacramento's decayed schools system.
It was the battle most people remember about Serna's tenure as mayor more than a decade after his death. In the long run, the union won the war.
It's no wonder "Manny" can jaunt off to the Continent while Raymond looks older by the
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