Union and district exchange sweeping contract proposals including $5‑an‑hour raise, insurance changes and retention stipend

Union and district negotiators met to continue bargaining over the classified collective bargaining agreement for Greater Albany Public SD 8J. The union proposed a series of pay and benefit changes it described as aimed at closing a decade of stagnant wages and improving retention.

The union representative said the unit proposed “a base salary schedule increase by $5 per hour for every step on the table,” and a second‑year, across‑the‑board 4% increase. The union framed the proposal as a targeted effort to raise the district’s lowest wages closer to a living wage and to address retention, noting members were “struggling with food and housing insecurity.”

Why it matters: Classified staff provide campus operations and student services across the district. The union said the $5‑per‑hour increase would help entry and lower‑step employees afford basic costs, while the second‑year 4% would keep pace with rising plan costs.

The proposal also included several work‑rule and benefit changes: paid vacation for 9‑, 10‑ and 11‑month employees (proposed amounts smaller than a comparator district, Salem), clarified vacation accrual and use provisions, and new language governing out‑of‑classification temporary assignments (limited to a two‑month expectation and a required meeting with the employer if duties continue beyond two months).

On benefits and retirement protections, the union proposed calculating district insurance contributions using the prior year’s pooling amount so open‑enrollment materials would list exact employee costs; the union asked the district to “cover all remaining insurance premium contributions beyond what is listed on the enrollment form for that school year” in the first year of the change so employees know final out‑of‑pocket costs at enrollment. Negotiators discussed implementation details and potential one‑time impacts to district pooling but did not adopt final language during the session.

The union also proposed opt‑out stipend amounts for classified employees (draft figures discussed: $600 for opting out of all insurance; $575 for medical+dental; $495 for medical+vision; $470 for medical only) with future increases tied to employer contribution adjustments, and requested higher TSA retirement‑match amounts for employees working four or more hours per day (up to a $100 monthly match for full‑time; $60 for part‑time was discussed).

Employee protections were part of the agenda. The union cited compliance with Oregon law on overpayments and proposed documentation and process limits consistent with Senate Bill 968, including a 364‑day lookback on recoverable overpayments, itemized documentation, an invitation to meet with a union representative, and a cap on automated deductions (no more than 5% of gross pay per pay period unless the employee agrees to a larger percentage). The union also proposed suspending paycheck deductions while an overpayment grievance is pending.

Other notable proposals included a $1,500 retention stipend for employees on the highest step with 15+ years of service, to be paid every other year beginning in fall 2026; changes to bilingual‑duty differentials (2% for employees asked to perform bilingual duties even if they have not passed the proficiency test, with the right to decline bilingual work); a 3% night‑lead custodian differential; a 6% trainer differential for employees assigned training duties; and clearer rules for extra‑duty and overnight work pay and overtime calculations.

District negotiators asked for clarifications, data and cross‑references. They flagged several places where current CBA language or payroll setups needed cross‑checking (for example, questions about how summer insurance deductions are processed for different pay schedules and a highlighted transportation row the district wanted explained). The district also noted that some job titles and appendix items in the wage table appeared obsolete and asked the union to identify whether titles such as ED assistant or TLC lead still exist.

No formal votes or signed agreements occurred at the session. Both sides agreed to reconvene and identified possible meeting dates in July. The union and district left several proposals open for further technical clarification and data exchange before formal adoption.

Quotes and attribution: All direct quotations and attributions in this account are to participants listed in the meeting’s speaker roster; where a remark’s speaker in the transcript could not be matched to a named person, the report attributes by role (for example, “union representative” or “district representative”).

Next steps: Negotiators agreed to continue talks (possible dates raised include July 13 and July 28) and to supply the requested payroll, staffing and comparator data for follow‑up discussion.