We wanted to update you on the two MOUs we have been working on with the RSD, the Summer School MOU and the Retention MOU.

First, the good news. We have successfully completed bargaining the Summer School MOU. We are working on wrapping up the final details (signing, checking grammar, etc.). We will share that MOU once it is signed by uploading it on the www.reynoldseducationassociation.org website under “Member Resources.”  

The Retention MOU, however, continues to be stuck and the District is refusing to bargain, simply returning to the same starting point with each counter. We have tried several different proposals, each met with the exact same counter from the District with no substantive changes. The District accused REA of bad faith bargaining when we returned with little to no COLA movement in the 2021-2024 contract negotiations, and now they are bargaining the Retention MOU in the same manner.

This time, though, there is one key difference between what REA was doing and what RSD is attempting. REA took this action because the District had the ability to pay for our COLA raises and they were claiming otherwise. Today, the District is taking this stance, not because they don’t have the funds, but because they don’t want to spend it on staffing.

REA met with the District last week to review their costing of the Retention MOU. The District’s costing included all of OSEA’s and RAA’s bonuses as well. The District is budgeting to spend approximately $1.3 million in money provided by the state for this particular purpose. They are also looking to spend around $5 million in leftover ESSR funding. To meet REA’s current proposal, that would mean spending somewhere between $700,000 to $1.5 million from the $34 million general fund carryover. That carryover is unspent dollars from this past fiscal year.

After that meeting, REA gave our counter. As of today, a week later, we have yet to hear the District’s response. We are looking at meeting to work on some contract maintenance issues soon (but that meeting is not yet set), and hopeful they will give us their counter then. Until then, we are stuck waiting.

REA leadership is continuing to stand strong on the idea that the District must continue to invest more in staff if RSD hopes to recruit and retain educators next year. You, the membership, gave us clear guidance to “hold out” in the survey and we are currently working under that guidance. While we understand that not everyone agrees, we plan to honor the overwhelming majority.

As outlined in the REA Narrative, we believe that RSD must invest in staff in order to invest in students. That RSD must be willing to spend on the classroom and schools above all else. The District seems to disagree, and their refusal to bargain on here is yet another example of this fundamental disagreement.

While we cannot say for certain when retention bonuses will be made, our goal continues to be sooner than later.

REA Leadership does wish to give members a heads up that bonuses are taxed differently than regular pay. When bonuses do arrive, members should expect a 30-31% total tax deduction (that includes both Oregon and federal taxes).
 
As school is letting out and many members will not be checking their email as regularly, we will be making future updates here. We hope to have something more positive in the coming days.