Contract negotiations between the Juneau School District and the Juneau Education Association stalled Thursday when both sides declared an impasse. This comes as the district and the teacher’s union enter their sixth month of negotiations.
In a joint press release, the district and union cited state education funding uncertainty as one of the obstacles in negotiations.
Gov. Mike Dunleavy vetoed more than $50 million in state education funding this year. The Alaska Legislature is scheduled to meet in a special session this Saturday to vote on overriding the veto.
The district is also waiting to see how a proposed state regulation change for municipal funding contributions and a federal disparity test appeal will impact its budget.
District and union representatives could not be reached Monday for comment.
Negotiations began in February this year. The district’s initial proposal included a 2.5% salary increase for the contract’s first year and a 1.5% increase in the second year on top of raises for more work experience and training.
The district is also proposing an additional 1% retirement plan match and flat funding for health insurance contributions. Teachers have several options for health insurance plans, including a free employer-compensated option.
JEA’s proposal includes a 10% raise in salaries for both years and for the district to cover 85% of health insurance premiums. The district estimates JEA’s proposal would cost nearly $28 million more than its version.
The district and union will now enter mediation. Both parties also declared an impasse during the previous bargaining cycle in 2022, which lasted more than a year.
