Teachers Strike Over Wages and Benefits : Labor: Most of the district’s teachers refuse to cross picket line, but officials say substitutes kept class disruptions to a minimum.

Ninety-five of the 120 teachers in the Rosemead School District walked off their jobs Wednesday in protest against deadlocked salary negotiations, but officials said substitute teachers brought in from nearby school districts kept class disruptions to a minimum.

Rosemead’s teachers are striking for a 4.5% raise retroactive to last June and a medical insurance package worth about $4,400 annually, said union President Suzanne Risse. Teachers say the school district has refused to go along with a state mediator, who in March recommended the 4.5% salary increase.

Supt. Walter Emerson said the district has offered a 3% salary increase and a medical insurance package worth about $3,900.

Unlike a number of other San Gabriel Valley school districts, Rosemead, which faces a $185,000 deficit on its $10.5-million budget for next year, has not cut teacher salaries or educational programs, Emerson said. And the board also plans to give 3% annual raises to classified and administrative employees.

“It would seem to me that our teachers would be excited that none of them got layoff notices,” Emerson said. “If we gave teachers 4.5%, we wouldn’t have been able to give the classified and administrative staff anything.”

On Wednesday, teachers picketed in front of the district’s four grade schools and one junior high most of the morning. Districtwide, pupil attendance was down about 20%, said Emerson, who added that this is the first teacher strike in his 34 years as superintendent.

At Muscatel Intermediate School, four of 20 teachers showed up for class and the school district provided 12 substitute teachers, he said.

Savannah Elementary School had the highest teacher turnout, with 12 of 23 instructors crossing the picket line. But at Shuey Elementary School, only one of the 19 teachers showed up for class.

Rosemead serves about 3,000 students from kindergarten through eighth grade.