REA Bargaining Session Update: September 11, 2017

The eighth bargaining session between Reynolds Education Association (REA) and Reynolds School District (RSD) was held on September 11, 2017 in the Woodland Elementary School Library from 4:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. Proposals were exchanged as follows:

Reynolds School District offered counter proposals on:

Article 5 – Employee Rights

The District agreed to make some changes to the fair and objective investigation language in the Just Cause provisions.
The District agreed to some language providing assurance that a personal conversation will be had with a unit member prior to giving the rating of 1 – Unsatisfactory on a summative evaluation.
The District & REA are in agreement that TOSA’s should not be involved in the evaluation of unit members.
The District & REA are in agreement that modifications to Programs of Assistance by the evaluator shall not be implemented without first communicating with the unit member and the authorized Association representative.
The District is proposing that oral and unsigned complaints may be used in the disciplinary process in order to allow oral complaints to be reduced to writing by an administrator.
There is agreement that anonymous complaints shall not be used. REA would like to retain current contract language regarding oral, unsigned, and anonymous complaints.
REA is requesting written updates when there are workplace and environmental safety issues in buildings. The District is agreeing to provide updates to site safety committees for their monthly meetings.

Article 18 – Student Discipline

In response to REA’s concerns and its original proposal, the District has counter proposed language regarding referral procedures for students engaging in physical abuse or intimidation to include the completion of a written plan on an established District form which shall be accessible to unit members who are assigned to the student. This would also apply to students, who in the judgment of the building administrator, have engaged in singular acts of significant physical aggression or intimidation. A form was included in REA’s initial proposal and the District would like there to be some collaboration regarding the creation of the form rather than accepting the form that has been suggested.
The District and Association shall also jointly engage in efforts to record incidents involving physical contract (assault) and intimidation against unit members. Information shall be shared, as available, at contract maintenance meetings.

REA offered counter proposals on:

Article 7 – Employee Work Year

REA proposed a change to B. Distribution of Contract language as follows:

1. Pupil Instruction Days increases from 172 to 174

2. Conference preparation days be specifically called out at 2 days replacing the current contract language which states that there be three days which can be designated as pupil instruction days or staff development days as determined by the school board and if the district schedules conferences one of these days be designated as a conference preparation day.

3. Staff development days reduced from 4 to 3

4. 1 midyear planning day remains the same

5. 1 fall pre-instructional work day remains the same

6. 1 summer post-instructional day remains the same

7. 4 pupil evaluation and/or course development days remains the same.

REA proposed that administrators direct the first and third late start Mondays of the month to direct staff development and/or trainings and the unit members direct the second and fourth late start Mondays to direct collaborative activities, planning, or preparation of curriculum/lessons specifically tied to the staff development for application and implementation. In addition, in months where there are five late start Mondays, the fifth Monday will be used for individual planning time.
(To date, the District has not been agreeable late start time being member directed as the School Board approved these days with the caveat that they would be directed by the District.
Both groups agree this should be collaborative time used effectively.

Reynolds School District and REA both offered proposals on:

Article 9 – Teaching Hours

The District proposed Fridays be returned to an 8-hour work day in combination with an increase of prep time at the elementary level of 30 minutes per week.
REA did not accept the return to an 8-hour work day on Fridays but proposed to accept the increase of prep time at the elementary level from 300 to 330 minutes per week.
REA continues to propose that there be no more than two hours of staff meetings per month.

Article 14 – Paid Leaves of Absence

The District has agreed that unit members need not divulge the nature of their personal business when requesting personal leave.
The District continues to request language changes in order to document compliance with the new Oregon Sick Time Law.
The District has agreed to expand the reasons for requesting leave from the Sick Leave Bank to include the serious health condition of a unit member’s child but in exchange has requested to limit the use to no more than 30 days in any 12-month period.
REA has reduced its proposal of an incentive of $50 per half day not used to $25 per half day not used or the possibility of being allowed to carry over one unused day to the next school year.

Article 26 – Student Services and Special Education

REA is requesting that the District consult with the Student Services Committee before placing self-contained special education classrooms in buildings. The District counter proposed that this committee may be called upon to review the building placements of self-contained programs.
REA proposed that the language regarding the 2.2% stipend paid be expanded beyond current contract language of “in recognition of time spent in required meetings and preparing paperwork” to remove “in required meetings” and to add “contacting parents, scoring assessments, writing reports, and completing quarterly IEP goal documents.” And, that the list of those eligible to receive the stipend be expanded to include, “any other Student Services Members who are responsible for developing IEP’s or Eligibilities.” The District was unclear as to who would be included by adding this new language so it was not adopted in the counter proposal presented by the District.
REA also proposed new language indicating that either the District or the Association may call for a meeting of the Student Services Committee with at least 24 hours’ written notice. The District did not adopt this language in its counter proposal.

Two Tentative Agreements were reached at this session.

Article 12 – Grievance Procedure

The District withdrew its proposal to delete the language in H. Other Concerns, “All concerns, outside the contractual definition, may proceed through Level Three and end there.” The District and REA have agreed to maintain current contract language for this article.

Article 27 – Class Workload

REA proposed that the Student Services Committee be allowed to include parents and/or student representatives. While the District and REA agree that parent and student input are valuable, the District does not feel other parties should be mentioned in the collective bargaining agreement and thereby counter proposed that the ELL Student Instruction and Services Structure Committee be allowed to solicit input from various parents and/or student groups which could be impacted by the decisions of the committee.

Next Bargaining Session:

September 26, 2017 from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the Oregon Education Association (OEA) office in Gresham.

Future Bargaining Calendar:

October 9, 2017 from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in the Woodland Elementary School Library.
October 26, 2017 from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in the Woodland Elementary School Library.