Today, the Superintendent of Tacoma Public Schools authorized the district’s negotiating team to request mediation assistance from the Public Employment Relations Commission (PERC) in its contract negotiations with the union representing its teachers – with the goal of bringing negotiations to a timely and mutually satisfactory conclusion, while ensuring a successful start to the 2011-2012 school year on Sept. 1.
"The parties have addressed many issues and many issues still remain," Superintendent Art Jarvis said. “We hope to utilize the mediation expertise of PERC to bring the parties together on a new collective bargaining agreement so that our teachers, staff and students can enjoy a great beginning to the new school year.”
In its request for state mediation assistance, the district summarized the remaining issues as compensation and operational issues, including but not limited to wage schedule, evaluations, displacement, transfer, assignment, professional development and class size.