News The Camas School District will avoid a teachers strike this year as the teachers union and district came to a tentative agreement on salaries Sunday evening.
Students will start school on the scheduled first day, Tuesday, Sept. 4.
Shelley Houle, Camas Education Association (CEA) president, said the two year agreement has entry level teachers’ starting salary at $50,727, and teachers with 16 or more years experience and a masters degree plus 90 credits earning $97,529.
In the second year, entry level teachers would earn $52,868 and educators with 15 or more years of experience and a masters degree plus 90 credits will earn $100,110.
Houle said the bargaining teams have met for 46 hours in the last four days, and she is “exhausted but exhilarated” that the teams have come to an agreement that values the educators in the district and a work stoppage is avoided.
“We are thrilled,” Houle said. “We think it’s a great deal and are really happy to achieve this agreement with our district.”
The union will hold a general membership meeting on Monday, Sept. 3, to vote for ratification of the agreement.
CEA members had voted on Aug. 27, to engage in a strike in the absence of a tentative agreement.
This information, originally reported Sunday, Sept. 2, at 7:26 p.m., was updated at 9:17 p.m.
