Clatskanie School District negotiates employee contracts with two employee unions: Clatskanie Education Association (CEA) for licensed staff and Oregon School Employees Association (OSEA) for classified staff. Negotiations are carried out in a collaborative manner with teams representing both sides. During the course of negotiations, contract language and financial terms are discussed. Once tentative agreements are reached for all articles under review, the proposed contract must be ratified by the association and approved by the School Board.
For more information about the public employee collective bargaining process in Oregon, please visit the Employment Relations Board website.
The district's administrators, supervisors and confidential employees are not represented by employee unions. Unrepresented employees’ delegates participate in a meet-and-confer process with the Superintendent to share their thoughts, concerns and input regarding their employment terms and benefits.
On March 21, 2024, the District opened negotiations with OSEA with the purpose of negotiating a new classified contract. The goal is to establish a collaborative and mutually respectful process that allows us to agree on a contract that benefits students and staff while also being good stewards of public funds.
Classified Collective Bargaining Agreement 2022-2024
Danielle Hudson, Superintendent
Ian Wiggins, CSD School Board Member
Katherine Willis, CSD School Board Member
Amanda Bennett, Human Resources Coordinator
Kara Burghardt, CES Principal
Shannon Emerson, CSD Board and Superintendent Secretary
Laurie Maughan, CMHS Principal
Elsa Jauron, OSEA President/CSD Bus Driver
Baylor Turnbow, OSEA Field Representative
Jill Abbot, CES Educational Assistant
Micah Doney, CES Educational Assistant
Stacy Hicks, CSD Bus Driver
Linda Sherman, CMHS Head Cook
Renee Taylor, CMHS Educational Assistant
September 4, 2024
Dear Clatskanie School District Staff,
As we move forward in our negotiations with the Oregon School Employees Association (OSEA), we wanted to keep all district staff informed about the current status and next steps. We are scheduled for mediation with OSEA on October 7th, and we are hopeful that this session will bring us closer to an agreement that benefits everyone in our district.
OSEA and the District have been bargaining since March 21, 2024. Despite significant state funding challenges, the District initially offered a 3% COLA increase over the 2022-24 contract in the 2024-25 school year and a 5% COLA increase over the 2025-26 school year. OSEA’s initial COLA increase was 10% for the 2024-25 school year and 8% for the 2025-26 school year. In addition, the District proposed a number of substantive benefit increases/working condition adjustments in its early offers (see the table below).
In May 2024, Superintendent Hudson shared with all staff that the district is facing a $2,043,000 deficit. This deficit resulted from 1) a required repayment of State School Funds to the Oregon Department of Education as a result of an increase in property tax revenue from Clatsop County; 2) the discontinuation of federal pandemic relief funds that were used for additional staffing and employee benefits; 3) , a decrease in integrated guidance grant funding due to declining enrollment; 4) a decrease in high-needs special education funding; 5) increased unemployment liability; and, 6) increased work days for some classified staff. Despite these challenges, the District recognizes our staff must keep up with the cost of living in our community, proposing the substantive salary, and benefit increases mentioned above.
In response to these financial challenges, the district is forced to make the following reductions:
At CES one teaching position, one behavior specialist position, three and a half educational assistant positions, and one cook position were reduced for the 2024-25 school year.
At CMHS three educational assistant positions and one alternative education teaching position were reduced for the 2024-25 school year. There was also a decrease to the District provided athletic supplies and materials budget.
At the district office, one administrative assistant position was reduced for the 2024-25 school year.
Below is an overview of the offers that the District has made to OSEA in our negotiations. These increases from the District costs more than what we budgeted for and expect to receive in revenue, which means there may need to be additional program and staff reductions as a result.
We are committed to reaching a fair and equitable agreement with OSEA and will continue to work diligently toward this goal while recognizing that our mission as a school district is to meet the needs of our students and support our staff in the work they do. We appreciate the patience and dedication of all our staff during this process and will keep you informed as we make progress.
Thank you for your continued support and commitment to our students and community.
Sincerely,
The Clatskanie School District Bargaining Team
Dr. Danielle Hudson, Superintendent
Katherine Willis, CSD School Board Member
Ian Wiggins, CSD School Board Member
Kara Burghardt, CES Principal
Laurie Maughan, CMHS Principal
Shannon Emerson, School Board Secretary
Amanda Bennett, Human Resources Coordinator
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