A mediated session between representatives of Vancouver Public Schools and a group of school employees failed to produce an agreement Friday.
About 600 members of the Vancouver Association of Education Support Professionals (VAESP) have been working under a two-year contract unilaterally approved a week ago by the Vancouver school board.
The Vancouver school district is faced with a 1.9 percent cut in state funding, which adds up to a $145,000 shortfall for the VAESP’s clerical workers, school secretaries, tech assistants and paraprofessionals.
The two sides agree on some areas for bridging that $145,000 gap — including a temporary suspension of professional development and training days.
“That’s $105,000 right there,” said Nancy Schreiber, who is a co-president of the VAESP along with Sue Prindle.
Both sides agree on the math, but the district and VAESP couldn’t agree on how to implement it.
Missy Hallead, district executive director for human resources, said the district couldn’t agree to a two-year commitment of no layoffs.
The state might continue cutting the district budget, Hallead said.
Language around layoffs and procedures for recalling employees to work continue to be a stumbling block.
In a layoff situation, Hallead said, the district wants to “re-prioritize the work and more equitably reduce hours throughout the system.” Seniority would enable an employee who’s laid off to replace a less senior employee in a comparable position.
The employees want to use seniority as a means of retaining a job, not just for bumping a worker with less seniority.
Hallead said the district is looking for flexibility in meeting its staffing requirements.
“It’s still about their wanting to control us,” said Schreiber, the VAESP co-president.
The difference between flexibility and control comes down to perspective, Hallead said.
Tom Vogt: 360-735-4558 or tom.vogt@columbian.com.
