Payette teachers, board ink pact

By JESSICA KELLER and Brandi Mack - ARGUS OBSERVER
Wednesday, September 26, 2007 11:32 AM PDT

PAYETTE - Mediation between the Payette School District Board of Trustees and the Payette Education Association concluded with both parties approving a 2 percent salary increase Tuesday.

One of the central issues in the negotiations involved the pay increase for school district teachers and, as of Monday night, only Payette Education Association members approved that portion of the pact.

Tuesday the board also approved the labor agreement.

“The agreement we settled on was payment to personnel reflecting the difference between the current salary schedule and the salary schedule with a 2 percent increase applied to the base salary,” Payette School District Superintendent Pauline King said. “Health and dental insurance and benefits maintained.”

King said both the teachers’ association and the board of trustees agreed to grant education and experience increments. That means the more education and experience an educator has, the more pay he or she is entitled to receive.

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“The mediations were handled very professionally and amicably,” King said. “They both had respect for each other’s positions in the school district, and they worked tirelessly throughout Thursday to come to a consensus on the issues, which were the benefits and salary.”

King said she was very pleased with the mediation process.

Payette Primary School physical education teacher and Payette Education Association Treasurer Ron Warzyn said negotiations began in April and but stalled since last May. The two sides took a three-month hiatus over summer break and resumed negotiations in September.

PEA President and Payette Primary third-grade teacher Andrea Tuttle said PEA members “reluctantly approved” the negotiation agreement presented to them. Tuttle said the PEA members “reluctantly” approved the agreement because, while they didn’t get all they had asked for, they might not have received anything if they hadn’t.

“It was the best that they could offer,” Tuttle said. King said the both parties were very professional and amicable during the negotiations.

“I really observed mutual respect from both groups, and everybody involved worked very hard Thursday, individually and collectively,” King said of the negotiation deadline.