Camas schools, union reach tentative deal

Those other placards around Camas might come down, too, soon after the Nov. 4 election.

The Camas School District early today announced a tentative contract agreement with the classified employee union that represents about 320 nonteaching workers.

The news follows four negotiating sessions led by a state-appointed mediator, after the two sides declared an impasse last month.

No details were released by the district or representatives of the Public School Employees chapter.

The district said PSE members will meet Nov. 5 to vote on ratification of the tentative deal.

Should workers approve the pact, the Camas school board would sign off at its Nov. 10 meeting.

The classified workers, who include school nurses, library and computer aides, food service workers and custodians, have continued work under terms of a three-year contract that expired Aug. 31.

After months of talks, a stalemate centered over employee pay rates, and seniority and job assignment rule changes pushed by the district and resisted by the union.