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PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Evergreen Public Schools announced it will not hold classes on Wednesday as the strike with support staff continues.
This comes as the district announced earlier in the evening that a tentative agreement had been reached in the ongoing negotiations, a claim that was later redacted — the district claimed that the email sent to media organizations had an “incorrect subject line.”
The backtracking by the district comes after the support staff union immediately shut down the idea that an agreement had been reached.
The Public-School Employees of Washington, Evergreen Chapter, Large Group (PSE Large Group) is striking for better pay and working conditions for its 1,400 employees. The union represents support staff, including paraeducators, bus drivers and service workers.
The union said in a press release that its bargaining team would negotiate as long as it takes to reach a fair agreement, claiming the district has refused to allow bargaining into the evening.
“Our bargaining team remains ready and committed to good-faith negotiations until we secure a contract that provides stability for students and dignity for staff,” said Evergreen PSE Chapter President Mindy Troffer-Cooper in a statement. “We are close to a deal, but the District must stay at the table to finish the work.”
Meanwhile, Evergreen Public Schools held a virtual board meeting Tuesday night, with hours of testimony pouring in, mostly in support of the striking workers.
Heather Wilson said her two Evergreen children missing school again feels like reliving the pandemic.
“It’s reminiscent of those things that we just saw happen where you just kind of watch ’em wither a little bit each day and withdraw and it’s triggering. It’s hard to watch,” she said. “I think overall, the plan is just to figure out ways to get us out and get their stimulation going so that they’re seeing things and not just…because genuinely they just want to regress back to staying in bed and it reminds me of pandemic times and I’m not very happy about it.”
The strike has delayed the start of school for over two weeks, coinciding with a similar delay at La Center School District, due to striking teachers and staff.
In a press release Tuesday evening, the district said that while there would be no class on Wednesday, negotiators have reached a tentative agreement and expect students and staff to return on Thursday, pending ratification by the union. That statement was then redacted minutes later, saying the bargaining process is continuing until further notice.
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Danny Peterson
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