As Juneau teachers and the administration enter another bargaining session today, the word from both sides is positive.
Negotiations over the last year have been very contentious as teachers held out for a cost of living raise while the district continued to say “no.”
But last week the Juneau Education Association presented a proposal that got the ball rolling again.
School Board President Sally Saddler says the district is taking it seriously and has developed a counter offer.
“The package actually provides increases in salaries and benefits within the constraints of the budget that we’re facing,” Saddler says. “So we’re hopeful that they will seriously consider the proposal as seriously as we were looking at what they presented us.”
JEA spokesman and teacher Dirk Miller says his colleagues feel more positive as negotiating teams go into today’s session.
“I can’t tell you how close, but we have come a lot closer. So we are moving, we are negotiating,” Miller says. “I hope to see that same effort on the district’s side.”
Teachers have been picketing school board meetings and threaten to strike if efforts fail to produce an agreement. They’ve been working without a contract for a year.
