FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Education Staff Professionals
On June 9, 2026, your union met with the District to continue contract negotiations for the 2026–2027 school year. We want to share a clear and simple update with all members.

Tentative Agreements Reached

We are pleased to report that tentative agreements have been reached on several important issues:

  • Sick Leave Bank Access Improvement
  • Compassionate Sick Leave Donation Expansion
  • School Safety On-Call Assignment Compensation Expansion
  • Dues Deduction Clarification

These agreements represent real progress in:

  • Protecting employee rights
  • Supporting members during personal hardships
  • Recognizing additional duties related to school safety

Wages Proposal for the District

The District has presented a supplement proposal as part of a total wages and benefits package.

  • The wages proposal is for a 2% one-time (nonrecurring) supplement

What this means:

  • This is a one-time payment, not a permanent salary increase.
  • The supplement does not increase retirement.

Insurance Changes Raise Concerns

The District’s proposal includes significant insurance plan changes:

  • Removal of Wellness Points benefits
  • Premium increases, especially for families
  • Higher-level tier plan increases
  • Out-of-pocket costs (deductibles and co-insurance) increases

What this means:

  • Increased insurance costs may reduce the value of monetary gains
  • Some members could see less take-home pay overall
  • Accumulated wellness points could become worthless

OCEA and SDOC have extensively discussed budget shortfalls and funding need. Counterproposals will be written, and OCEA and SDOC will return to the bargaining table on Thursday, June 18, 2026.

In solidarity,
Janet Moody
OCEA President