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Hello Educators,
RESPECT. SAFETY. SUSTAINABILITY.
United We Stand, Together We Demand!
Today our PAT Bargaining Team and the District Bargaining Team met at the PAT office for our 7th bargaining session. Thank you all for showing up and wearing blue! Your Bargaining Team presented Union Package #1 - a package proposal for Articles 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 26, and 30. A package proposal means we bundle multiple articles together and send it to PPS to either accept or deny in a package. This is a typical part of labor contract negotiations and can also be used strategically. It allows us to streamline and accelerate bargaining, focusing on items that are important to us, while also signaling to PPS where we might be willing to make compromises.
Our Bargaining Team is 100% committed to developing a strategy to get the highest COLA possible for ALL members to make up for the furlough relief we provided the district.
Article 8 Workload is remaining for PAT to counter propose. We expect to receive a package proposal of Article 10: Academic Freedom & Instruction, Article 12: Compensation, Article 13: Insurance Protection, Article 15: Retirement, and Article 17: Leaves from PPS at our next bargaining session on Thursday, April 30.
ARTICLE 1: STATUS AND EFFECT OF AGREEMENT (Link PAT Counter Proposal)
- We are close to agreement overall including having a 2-year probationary period for Bargaining Unit Members that are new to PPS but have already completed 3 years of continual employment in another district.
ARTICLE 2: ASSOCIATION RIGHTS (Link PAT Counter Proposal)
- Allowed flexibility for scheduling PAT-10 (or PAT-15; total of 150 mins./year) as mutually-agreed upon between Building Reps and Admin; added specific list of instructional programs to IPC discussions (curriculum, curriculum-based assessments, online platforms including Artificial Intelligence and AI-based curriculum and assessments, new initiatives, language pathways, special education, school climate, an overall MTSS approach, and/or any other changes to programming that will impact the workday or workload of bargaining unit members).
ARTICLE 5: GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE (Link PAT Counter Proposal)
- We continue to advocate against PPS’s position that we must use a mediator from the American Arbitration Association, but we agree mediators must be licensed in Oregon and Washington.
ARTICLE 6: WORK YEAR (Link PAT Counter Proposal)
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We are pursuing agreement to eliminate additional pre-service work days for TSI/CSI schools. Our Bargaining Team continues to push the District to accept the ability to work remotely on grading, planning, and conference days. In addition, we want release/late start time for midterm Progress Reports, two (2) required evening events instead of three (3), with any additional evening events being voluntary and paid at per diem hourly rate.
ARTICLE 7: WORKDAY (Link PAT Counter Proposal)
- We continue to work towards cleaning up language, protecting bargaining-unit-member-directed minutes, and reducing the number of staff meetings at High Schools to 10/year (consistent with Elementary and Middle Schools).
- In addition, our push continues for 5 minute transition time for Elementary Core Enrichment Educators and that itinerants will not be in more than 2 buildings when appropriate, along with workload reliefs for these members.
ARTICLE 26: PERSONNEL FILE (Link PAT Counter Proposal)
- We are close to agreement that any Letter of Expectation in a personnel file shall be removed after 4 years (not 6).
ARTICLE 30: SPECIAL EDUCATION (Link PAT Counter Proposal)
- PAT added language that District Special Education Management shall take responsibility when services in the IEP are unable to be provided based on staffing availability or financial constraints.
- We also expanded language from IDEA and other Special Education law in our contract to mandate the legal rights of special education students and educators, and added language to include our Bargaining Unit Members from Columbia Regional Inclusive Services.
A change the Bargaining Team is adding to all proposals and counter proposals is inclusive language referring to professional educators as Bargaining Union Members, and when needed, referring to job classes such as School Counselors, Social Workers, School Psychologists, Board Certified Behavior Analysts, Comprehensive School Psychologists, and Restorative Justice Coordinators to clarify and provide contract language that supports all members.
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What’s Next:
Next Bargaining Sessions: Join us! RSVP Here: bit.ly/patbargainwatch
- Bargaining Session #8 - Thursday, April 30 from 12pm-8pm at the PAT Office
- Bargaining Session #9- Thursday, May 21 from 12pm-8pm at MPEC
Contract Hotline: Bargaining Questions and Updates
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Monday, April 27 from 5:30-6:30pm: Contract Hotline hour via ZOOM
Next Bargaining Committee Session: Get Involved!
- Wednesday, May 13 at 5pm at PAT: Got something to say? Show up and be part of the team! RSVP link in The Advocate closer to the date.
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