Salem-Keizer teachers declare impasse, take step toward possible strike

This story was updated at 11:45 a.m. Friday

The Salem Keizer Education Association, the union that represents about 2,300 teachers and other educators, declared an impasse Thursday in its contract negotiations with the state’s second-largest school district.

The move is the first step in a process that could lead to a strike, which could begin as soon as April 1.

If a strike occurs, all schools will close, Salem-Keizer Public Schools officials said Thursday night. It would be the first strike in the district’s history.

“When we shared our offer with the licensed association, we were clear that this is all we could offer – anything more will do lasting harm to our schools,” Superintendent Andrea Castañeda said Friday. “They rejected our maximum offer and declared impasse, functionally abandoning the bargaining process.”

“The decision to move SKEA in the direction of a potential strike was not entered into lightly,” the union said in a statement.

The district has been bargaining with SKEA, as well as ASK-ESP, which represents about 2,500 district support staff, since last spring. Both negotiations are in mediation. ASK-ESP has not declared an impasse.

The district’s latest offer to teachers and licensed educators includes a 9.5% raise over two years, increased insurance benefits, a $5,000 retention and recognition bonus, and additional teacher prep time at the elementary level. The total value of the offer is more than $37 million and includes the largest year-over-year increases in memory, district official said.

What are the sticking points?

The district and SKEA have reached agreement on many issues, but are still far apart on class size caps and the definition of full-time workers.

Castañeda said the district cannot afford to reduce class sizes. On Tuesday, she told the school board that already, hundreds of jobs will be eliminated next school year to address a $30 million budget shortfall.

“The licensed association has presented a mathematically impossible demand,” Castañeda said. “We would love to pay our staff even more, hire more teachers, and have smaller class sizes — but the reality is that our district, like the districts around us, has to close a budget gap.”

Castañeda also said the district cannot agree to the union’s request to limit each work day to eight hours, rather than having a flexible 40-hour work week.

“The reason we can’t agree to that is that in every school, there are open houses, there are parent-teacher conferences. There are events that come and go over the life of the school year. Those fit within the 40 but they might exceed the standard of eight,” she said.

What’s happens next in the Salem-Keizer contract negotiations?

Thursday was the seventh session led by a state-appointed mediator.

Now, each side has a week to present its “final” offer.

After a 30-day cooling off period, the district can implement its final offer, or the union may choose to strike (after a 10-day notice).

That could happen as soon as April 2, when students and staff are scheduled to return from spring break.

Castañeda said talks will continue, although there are no more formal mediation sessions scheduled and the district has begun strike planning.

The district likely will be able continue to provide meals to students during a strike, Castañeda said.

But she advised families to make child care arrangements, saying community-based child care organizations would not be able to absorb all of the district’s students.

Salem-Keizer has about 38,787 students across its 65 elementary, middle and high schools.

Teachers in Portland Public Schools went on strike for more than three weeks last November, forcing the district to cancel 11 school days. That won them slightly higher pay, as well as bonuses for those teaching larger classes.

Tracy Loew covers education at the Statesman Journal. Send comments, questions and tips: tloew@statesmanjournal.com or 503-399-6779. Follow her on Twitter at @Tracy_Loew

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Salem-Keizer teachers declare impasse, step toward possible strike