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Classified staff press Oak Grove district for safety language, criticize 90% rejection of proposals
Summary
During two public hearings March 13, classified employees and union representatives urged the Oak Grove School District to restore bargaining-room collaboration and adopt stronger workplace safety language after, they said, the district rejected about 90% of proposed harassment and threats language. The board heard multiple speakers and closed the hearings without a decision.
Classified employees and union leaders pressed the Oak Grove School District Board of Trustees on March 13, saying the district rejected most of their proposed workplace-safety language and urging a collaborative process at the bargaining table.
At a public hearing on the district's initial bargaining proposal to CSEA Chapter 412, speakers representing classified staff said they perform duties that put them at risk — including home visits and multilingual services — and asked the board to recognize those risks in contract language. One commenter said the district "rejected up to 90% of the language we had proposed around harassment and threats," and called it "absolutely unacceptable" to be told such issues would be covered only in a separate workplace violence prevention plan that staff had not been shown.
Oak Grove Educators Association members and individual teachers echoed that concern during public comment, saying safety protections are essential to retain staff and keep classrooms functioning. An OGEA speaker said teachers cannot do their jobs without "the support of the secretaries, the instructional assistants, the health clerks," and asked the board to ensure bargaining proceeds in good faith.
Board President You opened and closed the hearings in accordance with the posted agenda; trustees did not take immediate action on contract language during the meeting. Bargaining-unit leaders present signaled that formal negotiations will begin following the district's Sunshine disclosures and the public hearings.
Why it matters: Safety, staffing and working conditions were raised as bargaining priorities. Speakers said those provisions intersect with classroom operations — for example, training and staffing for behavior management — so resolution at the table could affect classroom safety and retention across district schools.
What was not decided: Panel members outlined process concerns and asked for collaborative drafting; the district has not adopted specific contract language on harassment or workplace violence at this meeting. The board did not vote on bargaining terms; future negotiations and bargaining sessions will determine whether proposed safety language is accepted.
