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The Nugget Newspaper
Sisters, Oregon
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The contents of the on-line edition of The Nugget represent a selection among the stories that appear in the weekly print edition.

Sisters teachers ratify two-year contract
By Jim Cornelius

Sisters teachers will get a 2.1 percent boost in salary this year and 2 percent next year under a two-year contract ratified last week by the Sisters Education Association and the school board.

The teachers will also receive an increase in insurance benefits with the district increasing the employer's contribution to health insurance to $675.

The increases are very close to what the district had budgeted for salaries going into this year's contract negotiations. According to School Superintendent Steve Swisher, the insurance increase is about $10,000 more than what was planned.

"Because we made other cuts (in the budget) we were able to contain it," Swisher said.

The salary increase is based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Its effects this year are likely to be washed out by another provision of the contract that allows the district to cancel up to five days of school if a temporary income tax increase measure in the January 28 election is defeated at the polls -- a scenario everyone considers almost inevitable.

The insurance cap increase, while significant, will only keep employees ahead of increasing costs for a short time.

Swisher acknowledged that surging health care and insurance costs will probably eat up the employees' gains by this time next year.

"They're going to be treading water and actually may be a little behind the game with the increase in insurance costs," Swisher said.

Kelly Powell, an elementary school teacher who represented the teachers in negotiations, said the staff is satisfied that they got a fair agreement in dire budgetary circumstances.

"I think, overall, we were pleased with what the board and superintendent Swisher were able to do for us," Powell said. "What we got, I thought, was pretty generous."

The $2.7 million contract represents $50,000 in increased salaries; $24,000 in new insurance costs and $15,000 in new emloyee costs, including retirement benefits.

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