OSEA Bargaining Session Update: May 2, 2018

The fifth bargaining session between Oregon School Employees Association (OSEA) and Reynolds School District (RSD) was held on May 2, 2018 in the library at Woodland Elementary School from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

OSEA & District: Cindy Dominiak, OSEA, absent. Joe Teeny, Reynolds School Board, absent and replaced by Valerie Tewksbury, Reynolds School Board.

The District Presented the Following Counter Proposals:

Article 8 – Salary and the Corresponding Salary Schedules

District incorporated language from two MOU’s proposed by OSEA into this article:

Cell Phone Stipend - District proposes the cell phone stipend be in the amount of $25 per month for employees who must conduct business while working in the community, be accessible outside normal business hours, or respond quickly in the case of emergencies when working away from district worksites or outside on the grounds.

Overnight Trip Pay – District proposes language that represents current practice in the administration of overnight pay which is that the classified overnight rate of 1.5% be paid only during those hours during which a classified staff member is responsible for students overnight during sleep time. For all other hours worked, classified staff are to be paid either at the regular hourly rate or the overtime rate or be given compensatory time as per the provisions outlined in K. Overtime or L. Compensatory Time.

District also agrees to OSEA’s proposal for a bilingual stipend:

Bilingual Stipend

Employees in positions whose job descriptions specifically require bilingual skills (i.e. translations verbally and/or in writing) shall receive a stipend of 4%

Salary Schedule:

District proposes a three-year salary schedule that does the following in each of the three years:

Year 1 (2018-2019)

2% increase to columns IA, IIA, IIB, IIIA, IIIB, MECHI, MECHII, and MECHIII to account for market comparability
Smooth the step increases of steps 2 through 4 to 4% between steps
1% COLA over the 2017-2018 schedule for steps 5 through 10
Reset column IA, step 1 to new minimum wage of $12.00 per hour

Year 2 (2019-2020)

Smooth the step increases of steps 5 through 7 to 4% between steps
1% COLA over the 2018-2019 schedule for steps 1 through 4 and steps 8 through 10
Reset column IA, step 1 to new minimum wage of $12.50 per hour

Year 3 (2020 – 2021)

Smooth the step increases of steps 8 through 10 to 4% between steps
1% COLA over the 2019-2020 schedule for steps 1 through 7
Reset column IA, steps 1 through 4 to account for new minimum wage of $13.25 per hour

Article 14 – Seniority/Layoff/Recall

District continues to propose that there be two seniority dates – Classification seniority and District seniority. District disagrees with last proposal presented by OSEA in which district seniority would be used to determine who has more seniority in a layoff rather than classification seniority. As an example, the District would prefer that in a RIF of Educational Assistants, an Educational Assistant who has been with the District for a total of 19 years, all employed as an educational assistant, would be retained as an Educational Assistant rather than an Educational Assistant who had been with the District for 19 years as a Bus Driver and one year as an Educational Assistant. District feels that the Educational Assistant with 19 years serving as an Educational Assistant has more experience in the position. District recommends that the Bus Driver bump back into bus driving and remain on the recall list rather than the Educational Assistant being laid off as he or she would not have any prior classification to bump back into.

Article 24 – Job Openings

District counter proposes that in-district candidates do not have to be interviewed if they have previously been interviewed by the same supervisor for the same position in the previous twenty-four (24) months or can demonstrate the acquisition of new skills or experience relevant to the position in question.

District counter proposes that the New Employee Probationary Period be changed from six (6) months to one hundred and twenty (120) work days from the date of hire. This change in language clarifies that the summer non-working months do not count toward completion of the probationary period.

Article 25 – Non-Discrimination

District adopted OSEA’s proposal of including a list of categories and included the list as described in District Policy GBA Equal Employment Opportunity and GBNA/GBNA-AR Hazing/Harassment/Intimidation/Bullying/Menacing Staff. This list includes the categories of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, marital status, age veterans’ status, genetic information, and disability. It does not include union activities as the District asserts that any discrimination based on union activities is already covered under ULP (Unfair Labor Practice) so it is not needed in the contract.

OSEA Presented the Following Counter Proposal:

Article 7 – Emergency Closure

OSEA continues to propose language related to employees being paid for inclement weather days without having to use leave in exchange for not being paid to work any make-up days at the end of the year.

OSEA adopted the District’s language regarding staff who are requested to work with custodial, grounds, and maintenance doing outside inclement weather preparation or snow/ice removal being paid their regular rate plus the $10 premium per hour. OSEA also adopted the District’s language proposing that if the District is closed on a non-school day, then essential staff who report to work will still receive the premium rate(s).

OSEA did not adopt the District’s language proposing that essential staff who are in the $10 premium rate category shall only receive the $10 rate for hours worked outside doing inclement weather preparation or snow/ice removal. For work completed inside, the $5 premium rate shall be paid. OSEA did not adopt the District’s language proposing that non-essential staff who receive permission to come in at their own initiative when they are not required to do so will not be paid the premium rates.

The teams caucused from 5:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. so the District could review with the team and finalize the proposal shared above for Article 8.

The teams caucused again from 6:45 until the end of the night’s session at 8:00 p.m. so they could both discuss the proposals presented and begin work on counter proposals for the next session.

The Agenda was not set for the next session.

The District will bring counter proposals for Articles 14, 24, and 25.
OSEA will notify the District prior to the session regarding which articles will be brought.

Upcoming Bargaining Dates Scheduled as follows:

Woodland Elementary School Library: