The Tacoma School Board will convene a special meeting Wednesday at noon to ratify two collective bargaining collective bargaining agreements – one for food services workers with Public School Employees (PSE) and one for members of the Tacoma Education Association (TEA).
In addition to ratifying the TEA agreement, the board’s approval will assist the district in resolving questions surrounding the Oct. 5 payroll. The Board’s ratification of the collective bargaining agreement will enable the district to pay salaried employees – including paraeducators, teachers and other salaried employees affected by the strike by members of the TEA – their full, regular pay on Oct. 5.
Generally, the district cannot “gift” public funds, which would limit paying staff for work not yet performed. However, on Monday, the district proactively contacted the state auditor’s office for additional guidance. The state auditor’s office advised the district that if a valid collective bargaining agreement is in place by Oct. 5 and it specifies salaried employees, including teachers, will receive 24 equal payments throughout the year for their work, the district can provide the full, regular payment without raising an issue of a gift of public funds.
The board’s ratification Wednesday would meet that requirement.
The food services workers and the district have agreed to extend the parties’ current collective bargaining agreement, which expired in August, for three additional years with a letter of agreement to address some specific issues.
The board will meet in the 7th Floor Conference Room of the Central Administration Building.