Classified staff and OSEA urge TTSD board to bargain higher wages as talks stall
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Summary
Two public commenters — a classified employee and OSEA state president — told the Tigard-Tualatin School District board bargaining is prolonged and current proposed raises are inadequate, calling for wage increases, staffing timelines and board engagement in bargaining.
At the Tigard‑Tualatin School District board meeting on Jan. 15, two public speakers pressed the board to take a stronger stand in ongoing bargaining with classified staff, arguing proposed pay increases fall short and staffing shortages are harming students.
Danielle Marino (zip 97007) told the board, “This is no longer a request. This is a warning.” Marino described classified employees as the “infrastructure of every school,” and said vacancies, high turnover and unsafe staffing ratios are already reducing legally required supports for students with disabilities. She criticized proposed increases of “60 to 80¢ an hour” as not a livable wage and said the district must produce a public timeline to resolve staffing shortages.
Sarah Wofford, Oregon School Employees Association state president (zip 97527), urged board members to exercise their role in guiding bargaining and to ask staff pointed questions. Wofford said a $2.25 hourly raise request is not unreasonable and urged pay equity with teachers, noting previous allocations to teacher contracts and asking why similar resources have not been made available to classified staff.
The superintendent told the board the district remains committed to bargaining and acknowledged financial constraints and uncertainties, but said staff will continue to “show up and keep working” toward an agreement. No formal action on bargaining terms occurred at the meeting.
The public comments preceded board discussion of legislative priorities, bond work and other district business. The board did not take an immediate vote on wage proposals; commenters asked for a public timeline, higher wage offers and staffing levels that do not depend on employee burnout.
The district’s bargaining with OSEA was described by both commenters as ongoing; the board signaled continued engagement with district leadership and staff on next steps.