PPS offers significant salary increase, Portland teachers call proposal "unconscionable"

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- The Portland teachers strike is stretching into its third week as classes were once again canceled despite ongoing contract negotiations.

New contract proposals were exchanged Sunday as representatives from both the Portland Association of Teachers and the Portland Public Schools continued to talk -- although both sides reverted to their stances in comments after negotiations ended for the day.

PPS officials released their latest offer, which they said "is a significant offer, and it is not without trade-offs. Absent any new revenue, budget cuts will be unavoidable and we will need to implement significant cost-saving measures."

The offer they released shows teachers would get a 10.9% cost-of-living increase over 3 years, 10.6% step increases over 3 years for about half of all educators, bonuses between 0.5% - 1.5% and a $3000/year stipend for special educators.

Additionally, they propose 410 minutes of planning time each week (up from the current 320), shifting middle school schedules, dropping the staffing ratio by 1 student beginning next year along with other tangential offers.

PPS Board Chair Gary Hollands is hopeful they can reach a deal soon.

"There is a significant amount of dollars put into this proposal. We tried to make sure we looked at all the educators' needs and figure out a way that we can address some of it even if we can't do all of it," Hollands said Sunday.

'Unconscionable and negligent'

Angela Bonilla, the president of the PAT, called the PPS proposal "unconscionable and it's negligent. We've put forward cost-neutral proposals over the table that the district has rejected."

"When it comes to class sizes and caseloads, there was no improvement," Bonilla said. "For planning time, it's the status quo for a majority of our members and less planning time for a portion of our educators. When it comes to a cost of living increase, there was no movement beyond a small one-time cash bonus."

"We know that there is money. There is $105 million in their general fund," Bonilla said. "There's over $20 million coming in each year, according to ODE that they did not project was going to come in."

But the district said otherwise. And Multnomah County Commissioner Julia Brim-Edwards agreed.

"PPS estimates for this year were the same as the state's estimate," Brim-Edwards said. "So there was no $20 million there. There wasn't $100 million of extra money."

She added that next year there will be an increase of $9 million.

The PAT wants the district to put everything on the table.

"We're talking about a 3-year budget, and they need to start talking to us about what do these improvements look like not just this year, but moving forward," Bonilla said.

Another bargaining session is scheduled for Tuesday, PAT officials said.

Teachers are expected back on the picket lines Monday morning. Portland teachers began their strike on November 1.

KOIN 6 News will continue to follow this story.