The Bend-La Pine School District announced Thursday it has reached a tentative contract agreement with the Oregon School Employees Association Chapter 6. The four-year collective bargaining agreement is for about 900 classified employees including bus drivers, office and cafeteria workers, maintenance workers, janitors and classroom support staff.
The agreement provides a 6.3% cost-of-living increase for the current school year, retroactive to July 1, 2023, and 4.25% for 2024-25. The agreement also includes increases in the district’s insurance premium contribution: $55 a month effective Oct. 1, 2023; and $40 a month effective Oct. 1, 2024, the district said.
Both sides agreed to resume discussions in spring 2025 to negotiate salary and insurance cap adjustments for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 school years.
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“Classified employees are an integral part of our school district, often working behind the scenes to ensure teaching and learning run smoothly and students’ needs are being met. We value their talents, energy, hard work, and rely on them across our entire district,” Superintendent Steve Cook said in a statement.
“Wages and benefits are a priority for most people and classified employees are no different. The bargaining team started with those priorities in mind along with other feedback from our members to guide our priorities for a stronger contract that not only makes a noticeable difference in our pockets, but also aims to make the Bend-La Pine School District an employer of choice in the area,” OSEA Chapter 6 President Debbie Christian said.
The agreement comes a little more than a week after the district and the Bend Education Association reached a tentative deal on a new contract.
