Seven of nine USD 475 teacher contract issues on which negotiators disagreed were resolved on Tuesday. The talks on the 2015-16 teaching contracts have been at impasse but there was progress in this latest session at the Devin Center.
Negotiators for the Board of Education and Junction City Education Association met.
BOE member Dr. Farrell Miller agreed the teams got close to reaching a settlement. “We got seven out of the nine, so in an hour-and-a-half meeting that’s pretty good work.”
The two issues that remain unresolved include travel time for teachers moving to different buildings during the school day, and collaboration time so teachers can meet and work together during the day in collaboration. Those issues will be addressed during a negotiating session scheduled at 4 p.m. Thursday at the Devin Center.
“We are closer to coming to a resolution than we were a couple of weeks ago. This is a very good session. I think we worked really well together, and made lots of progress.”
Junction City Education Association President Cathy Rankin feels negotiators are close to reaching a tentative agreement. “Yes, tonight was very productive, and we’re very excited. There’s only two things now that we really need to work on.”
On the two issues still to be resolved, Rankin said, “JCEA would like all of the duty requirements within a 40-hour week, and the District would like collaboration time within the student contact time. On the con side of that JCEA wants to be able to make sure that teachers have a sufficient amount of individual prep time. And so we are working on some creative solutions to this problem.”
If the negotiating teams reach a tentative settlement the proposed contract would have to go to the teachers for a ratification vote, and if approved there to the Board of Education for a final ratification vote before it could become effective. If the negotiators do not reach a tentative settlement the next step would be a fact finding hearing on the unresolved issues where testimony and evidence could be presented.