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Union says district's 1% counteroffer is inadequate; PEA proposes 2.5% raise
Summary
At the Oct. 28 meeting, Polk Education Association president Stephanie Yoakam told the board bargaining remains unresolved after the union proposed a 2.5% salary increase. The union said a 1% counteroffer from district management would equate to about $17 per month for some staff and is unacceptable. The union provided a cost
Stephanie Yoakam, president of the Polk Education Association (PEA), addressed the board during public comment and during a member report to explain the union's position in ongoing contract negotiations.
Yoakam told the board the union had revised its package to reflect increased hiring counts and presented a counterproposal of a 2.5% across‑the‑board salary increase. She said a 1% management counteroffer would amount to about $17 per month before taxes for some employees and described that as inadequate. The union presented an estimate showing a 2.5% wage increase would cost approximately $12,791,784 with benefits; the union said the district was roughly $6.1 million short of funding that proposal after accounting for state allocations and other adjustments.
"A 2.5 percent raise is well within your means," Yoakam told the board, urging the district to advocate for state funding and to use available local funds. The union characterized the management offer as $1.7 million of local funds plus $3.4 million of state teacher allocation that only some teachers qualify for, leaving a funding gap for a broader settlement.
The board did not announce a settlement at the Oct. 28 meeting. The comments underscore ongoing collective‑bargaining discussions between the district and its employee association.
Why this matters: Wage settlements affect teacher and staff recruitment, retention and classroom continuity. The union and the district will continue bargaining; any tentative agreement will return to members for ratification and to the board for formal approval.
