Teachers in Albany approved a new contract, ending one of the longest strikes in Oregon public schools after three weeks.
Roughly 600 educators represented by the Greater Albany Education Association (GAEA) went on strike Nov. 12. Teachers returned to work on Dec. 3 after 21 days on strike.
In a tumultuous 30-hour period, a tentative agreement for a new contract was announced, retracted, announced, and approved by teachers and the school board.
GAEA announced Dec. 1 that it reached a tentative agreement for a new contract with the district, but hours later, the agreement fell apart. The district and union were unable to agree on the post-strike return-to-work plan or an appendix setting extra duty pay, the union announced after concluding bargaining at 3 a.m. Dec. 2. But that afternoon, the union announced it again had a tentative agreement ready for members to vote on. Members approved the contract proposal that night, followed by an emergency meeting where the school board approved the contract.
GAEA President Dana Lovejoy said safety was the union’s number one priority. That includes supporting students with behavioral or mental health challenges, creating effective plans for dangerously hot days, and limiting class sizes, Lovejoy told the Labor Press during the strike.
The union also sought reduced workloads and higher compensation. Before the new contract was approved, GAEA members in their first year of teaching were paid around $45,600, which is relatively close to salaries at comparable districts.
“But as you move through the years and stay loyal to the district, you’re losing money in comparison to the districts around us,” Lovejoy said.
In the Greater Albany Public School District, teachers max out just under $85,000. In similar-size districts, the average maximum salary on the step schedule is over $95,000.
The new contract includes a 7% cost of living raise for most members and a 9% raise for the longest-serving members, who have maxed out on the salary schedule and are no longer getting annual step increases. Members will get a 4.5% to 5.5% raise the following year, and a 3% to 5% raise based on inflation for the 2026-27 year.
In bargaining, the union sought stricter limits on class sizes, which would reduce workloads and improve safety by providing more attention for individual students before emotions escalate to violent episodes, Lovejoy said.
“We have overcrowded classrooms and it makes it hard for teachers to get around to every student,” Lovejoy said.
Workload reductions mean smaller class sizes for teachers and smaller caseloads for other workers. In addition to teachers, GAEA represents counselors, social service liaisons, speech language pathologists, and nurses.
The new contract limits kindergarten class sizes to 22 students at Title I schools and 25 students at other schools, down from a previous limit of 27 students, according to the union. Title I schools receive federal funding to support students from low-income families. Class size thresholds increase up to 35 students in high school classes. The district has agreed to create a $500,000 annual fund for costs when classes are over the size threshold, like bringing down the class size or providing classroom aids.
Educators and students missed 10 instructional days, just one day fewer than the 2023 Portland Teachers Association strike. The last strike in Albany schools was in 1987 and lasted just a few hours.
