NCSD workers continue talks

The North Clackamas School District negotiated a new teachers contract without any serious delays, but a contract with other school employees is turning out to be another story.

Of the 415 voting members of the Oregon School Employees Association local chapter, 71.5 percent opposed a tentative agreement with NCSD last week. The union represents classified employees such as secretaries, school bus drivers, custodians, food service, instructional assistants and maintenance.

At least 297 employees (the number who turned in ballots rejecting the latest proposal) are unhappy with the compensation packages on the negotiating table. Union and district officials have agreed not to release details about any of the proposed contract language until an agreement is ratified by the School Board.

In May, leaders credited collaborative approaches to bargaining with helping NCSD reach a tentative labor agreement with the North Clackamas Education Association, which represents teachers and other licensed staff. It followed another tentative agreement that month with OSEA.

Licensed employees’ contract through 2014 was ratified in June, as expected. But OSEA’s vote came after the expected timetable, which means that negotiations will continue until perilously close to the start of school in September.

OSEA’s agreement with the district expired on July 1. But classified workers, including those custodians and maintenance employees who work over the summer, will continue to receive compensation based on last year’s agreement until a new agreement is reached for 2012-13.

NCSD and union officials issued a mutual statement last week that they would resume collaborative bargaining in the coming weeks. They said the next rounds will concentrate on employee concerns about compensation.

“We are confident that we can return to our discussions and reach a new tentative agreement that addresses the concerns raised by the members,” wrote chapter President Pam Briece and district Human Resources Executive Director Marla Shuman.

The parties pledged a commitment to work on compensation issues using a collaborative problem solving approach during these continuing difficult financial times.

In the traditional “position/proposal-based” process, the parties usually identify the issues for bargaining and then exchange and discuss proposals in a process that can create an adversarial relationship between the parties.

In the collaborative approach, participants focus on interests rather than positions. Participants are expected to think systemically, respect the role and responsibilities of others, explore options, then meet interests of all participants, and use consensus.

As both sides negotiate a memorandum of understanding on OSEA wage and benefits issues for the coming school year, they are aware that they will soon have to work out a full collective bargaining agreement that will expire on June 30, 2013.