PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Portland’s local teachers’ union protested outside the Portland Public Schools headquarters in North Portland Thursday after they say bargaining discussions stalled with school district management.
Following months of recent negotiation efforts, Portland Association of Teachers President Angela Bonilla stated in an April 27 announcement that Portland Public School has canceled its latest bargaining meeting with the union. She told KOIN 6 she fears the district is trying to run the clock.
“I know they want to collaborate, they’ve expressed we have shared interests, we want to solve this, we want to settle a contract, so I am hopeful that we are able to get that done before the clock runs out,” Bonilla said. “But if not, we’re going to keep fighting for what our students need.”
As a result, Bonilla put out the call for teachers and community members to support Portland’s public school teachers by holding a rally from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the Dr. Prophet Education Center at 501 Dixon Street.
“This meeting would have been our 8th bargaining session since January, when we first shared our bargaining platform and proposals,” Bonilla said. “By this point in negotiations, we expected to be discussing issues that matter most to educators and coming closer to resolution. Instead, PPS management has come to the bargaining table with little to say about the issues we’ve raised.”
The canceled negotiations come days after Portland Public Schools Chief of Staff Jonathan Garcia presented next year’s $2 billion budget to the school board on April 25.
At the meeting, school district officials announced that difficult decisions will need to be made leading up to the 2023-2024 school year, including a possible layoff of 90 school district employees — a 3% staff reduction.
The budgetary problems, school district officials said, partially stem from an anticipated 1% decline in enrollment next year.
Portland’s teachers, meanwhile, continue to fight for new contracts and better pay.
Bonilla said they were supposed to negotiate teacher compensation after the district has offered 2.5% for a cost of living adjustment. Bonilla says that’s not enough with the current level of inflation.
Hundreds of teachers had RSVP’d to attend Thursday’s now-canceled bargaining meeting to show solidarity for the desired contract negotiations, Bonilla said.
“It is shameful that instead of meeting with educators, they canceled without rescheduling,” Bonilla said. “PPS Management’s actions mean much more than their words. By canceling bargaining for this Thursday and refusing to discuss the issues most important to educators, they are choosing to run away from us, hoping we’ll give up and give in to their vision.”
In a statement to KOIN 6 News on Thursday, the school district stated the proposed budget is “prudent and well-balanced.”
“The Portland Association of Teachers’ contract proposal would add nearly $200 million in new costs, hundreds of new staff, and new operational demands that are not feasible,” the statement continued. “We remain committed to resolving our contract in a manner that is student-centered, thorough, consistent with our values – and fiscally responsible with taxpayer dollars.”
There is another negotiation session on May 11. Bonilla says the union doesn’t want to strike, but are keeping their options open.