Hi Educators,

After 219 days of bargaining prior to mediation and three frustrating and largely fruitless mediated bargaining sessions, we have ceased to see any meaningful movement from district management on issues most important to our membership. Therefore, we have officially declared an impasse in the bargaining process. Over the next week, your Bargaining Team will be preparing a final offer and we expect district management will be doing the same. It seems quite unlikely that management’s final offer will be even remotely acceptable.  

Should management’s final offer continue to ignore the basic right of educators to have salaries that keep up with inflation; should it continue to ignore the need for meaningful increases in planning time to serve students; and should it fail to provide guarantees of additional wrap-around supports for students’ mental and behavioral health, the only route to a just settlement will be the full mobilization of all educators toward a strike action.

The exact timing of our next steps remains in flux (see legal timeline minimums), however, during impasse, we will continue to bargain with district management. We have scheduled meetings with the mediator and the district team on Oct.2, Oct. 11, and Oct. 17th. 

Be prepared to hear from your Contract Action Team, Building Representatives and the PAT leadership to answer questions and provide specific guidance on how you can be prepared to take action in support of our bargaining efforts.

In Solidarity,

Your Bargaining Team
Steve Lancaster, Chair
Francisca Alvarez
Samara Bockelman
Julia Fogg
Thea Keith
Charity Powell

Ryan Olds, OEA Staff
Angela Bonilla, President
Portland Association of Teachers
https://www.pdxteachers.org/