January 09, 2003

Teachers Offer Pay Cut, District Refuses

Catching up on some leftovers from yesterday before I get to today's items, we have this baffling development in contract negotiations between Portland's teachers and school district:

Portland teachers, aiming to reach agreement on a new contract and avoid a strike, offered Tuesday to accept the 5 percent pay cut that the district sought in its opening proposal.
But district officials rejected the teachers' offer.
...
Steve Palumbo, a middle school math teacher who leads the teacher bargaining team, said his team was "stunned."
"It's really disappointing," Palumbo said. "They could have come back with some kind of counteroffer. But instead they just said, 'No. We need everything we've asked for, plus the nine days is now 15.' "

Perhaps the school district has been receiving training in "you're either with us or against us" negotiation tactics from the Bush Administration.

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  1. Rant: OEA & PPS Teachers New Negotiating Stance: We don't want to kill the golden goose. We just want to choke it by the neck until it gives us every last egg. on 23 Feb 2003

    I really don't get it. Portland Public Schools is in it deep. Cutting days, closing schools, really hurting for money.