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Board ratifies three-year OSEA contract after bargaining; longevity and retiree benefits discussed
Summary
The board unanimously approved the 2026–2028 collective bargaining agreement with OSEA. Discussion focused on probationary terms, longevity stipends (non-compounding step-based percentages), COLA application and a retiree-insurance clause that will sunset as eligible employees retire.
The Philomath School District Board approved a three-year collective bargaining agreement with the Oregon School Employees Association (OSEA) for 2026–2028 after a period of district and union negotiations.
Board members and administrators reviewed contract provisions at the meeting, including probationary-period differences between teacher and classified staff, the structure of longevity stipends and how cost-of-living adjustments will be applied. Board members asked for clarity on the longevity language; a member confirmed the stipend is not compounding but is calculated as a flat percentage at the designated step for eligible employees.
The board also noted language governing retiree insurance that remains in the contract only for a very small number of current employees who remain eligible; administrators said that retiree-insurance language will sunset as those employees leave coverage.
A motion to approve the contract was moved and seconded; the board voted unanimously in favor. Members thanked the bargaining teams for cooperative negotiations and noted the district must now plan for the fiscal impacts of the agreement when state funding becomes clearer next year.
What’s next: The district will sign the ratified agreement and begin implementing negotiated terms. The business office will model the contract’s cost implications for the 2026–27 budget cycle and report back to the board.
