Canby School Board, Union Members Vote to Accept Agreement on Wages, Benefits

The Canby School Board on Thursday approved the agreement between the district and the local union representing its teachers and classified staff. The board voted to accept the compromise hammered out by the district and union bargaining teams at last week’s meeting following an executive session.

The agreement locks in wage and benefit increases for the next two years.

“We greatly value the hard work of our employees and look forward to our continued partnership as we work together to ensure all students succeed,” Superintendent Trip Goodall said in a district communication Friday.

Canby Education Association President Stef Agar confirmed on Saturday that CEA members had also voted to accept the agreement, officially bringing to an end a bargaining process that had lasted more than six months and appeared headed for mediation.

The two sides reached a compromise on annual cost of living adjustments, or COLAs, a 3 percent COLA effective July 1, 2019 (retroactive pay to be dispersed in a lump sum next month) and a 4 percent COLA effective July 1, 2020.

Both marks represent the highest cost-of-living increase Canby teachers have received since the 2010-11 school year.

The district also agreed to up its insurance contributions by $65 a month effective Jan. 1 (not retroactive), for a total of $1,300 a month, and an additional $52 a month effective Oct.1, for a total of $1,352.

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