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Education bargaining units begin talks; staff urge pay adjustments to retain teachers and support staff
Summary
Representatives for the D21 Education Association and NW Education Support Professionals told the board bargaining has begun and urged competitive, sustainable pay increases, incentives for retention, and increased entry-level pay to address turnover and rising living costs.
Representatives Sonja Schatz and Jodi Ketchum told the board at its Feb. 27 meeting that bargaining has started for both the D21 Education Association and the NW Education Support Professionals. They outlined concerns about rising housing and healthcare costs, regional pay disparities and high staff turnover and urged the board to prioritize compensation changes in upcoming budget discussions.
The bargaining representatives proposed a structured, sustainable annual pay increase that keeps pace with inflation, incentives for long-serving staff, increased entry-level pay to attract new educators and additional stipends for extra duties such as mentoring and extracurricular leadership. They said higher pay is essential to retain staff and protect continuity of instruction. The board acknowledged the concerns and will consider these priorities as budget planning continues.
