Battle Ground teachers, district reach contract agreement

Battle Ground teachers and Battle Ground Public Schools reached a tentative contract agreement Wednesday night after a 12-hour mediated bargaining session and 10 months of negotiations. The previous contract expired Aug. 31.

“The bargaining team sincerely appreciates the members’ support over the past several months,” Battle Ground Education Association President Linda Peterson said. “Our members have made a tremendous effort to help us gain a settlement. The agreement, while not everything we’d hoped for, reflects a number of gains for BGEA. Your team recommends that it be approved by the membership.”

Details will not be released until both the union and the school board can vote on the agreement. The union will vote in a general membership meeting at 5 p.m. Monday at Chief Umtuch Middle School in Battle Ground. The union’s bylaws require a simple majority of 50 percent plus one to ratify a contract. The union represents about 825 teachers.

“None of the tentative agreements have been seen by the members,” Peterson said. “Until the membership sees the contract, no details will be released. Members must be present to vote. It’s a critical vote.”

If the union ratifies the contract, the school board will meet in executive session at its March 28 meeting to discuss the agreement. During the regular public meeting, Superintendent Mark Hottowe said he will ask the board to approve the agreement.

“We are unbelievably pleased to have reached a tentative agreement,” Hottowe said. “I’m really pleased with the work the association did to help us come to a place where we could find agreement. Now we can focus more of our efforts on the work we’re doing to help our students in the classroom and schools. That can become our main focus again.”

Several school districts around the state are still negotiating teacher contracts with their unions, said Linda Mullen, spokeswoman for Washington Education Association.

Battle Ground’s teachers are the only teachers in Clark County who are working without a renewed contract. Washougal School District and its teachers approved a two-year contract in January after more than a dozen bargaining sessions and state-mediated talks.