The Vancouver Association of Educational Support Professionals reached a tentative agreement on a new contract with Vancouver Public Schools on Friday evening, just minutes before the start of the holiday break.
Details on the settlement, which will affect secretaries, clerks and paraprofessionals, were not released. Superintendent Steve Webb said on Twitter that specifics will be announced following the union’s next general membership meeting, which is to be scheduled after the new year.
“I am grateful to the bargaining teams for working very hard together to come to an agreement,” Webb said in a news release. “And, I especially want to thank our staff members for their patience and understanding as we completed this process.”
Union representatives could not be reached for comment after a full day of state-mediated bargaining.
The district and union have been locked in negotiations for several months, which recently turned sour after the union voted to consider a strike vote if a deal was not reached by Feb. 1, 2019. Union members twice demonstrated this month, first at a 200-person strong rally in front of district offices. Several dozen picketed at a school board meeting Thursday.
The heated bargaining was prompted by additional money the state Legislature allocated to the district as part of two years of school funding legislation. The union and district were at odds over how much of the additional money could go toward classified staff salaries, which union leadership say average around $20,000. The union accused the district of withholding funds, while the district has said it faces budget shortfalls in the coming years in order to accommodate increased salaries.
Friday’s announcement marks an end to labor activity in Southwest Washington. Teachers in the district and across Clark County saw similarly antagonistic negotiations earlier this year, prompting strikes and school shutdowns.
