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http://www.omniture.com --> Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Advertisement Email Story to a Friend May 11, 2006 Medford school teachers rally at Hedrick Middle School Wednesday. The teachers union has filed a complaint against Medford School District officials alleging they violated state law by requiring teachers to distribute anti-union material. (Mail Tribune / Jim Craven) Medford teachers file labor complaint By Paris Achen Mail Tribune The Medford teachers union filed an unfair labor practice complaint Wednesday against the Medford School District concerning a newsletter about teacher contract negotiations sent home with students and mailed to district residents. The Medford Education Association and district officials, who have been negotiating a new contract since February, are at odds over salaries, benefits, preparation time and duties. Administrators instructed teachers at six to seven elementary schools on April 21 to send the newsletter about negotiations home inside students' weekly folders. The newsletter stated that the teachers' contract proposal would cause a $12 million deficit in the district's budget. It also claimed that the teachers' proposal was "not a 'fair and equitable' trade-off for the students who would face larger classes or for the taxpayers who expect their schools to operate efficiently." After receiving complaints from the teachers about the means of delivery, Superintendent Phil Long recalled the newsletters at the remaining schools. Instead, the district mailed an updated newsletter to 7,500 district households, containing essentially the same statistics but with additional information about the district's counter offer, Long said. "This was an awkward position for teachers and we realized that," he said. "That's why we took another approach that we believe is more sensitive to the teachers." In its complaint, the teachers union alleges the newsletter violated state law by requiring teachers to distribute anti-union material to parents. "It was not fair of the district to use our kids and classrooms to get their message out to the public," said Cheryl Lashley, union spokeswoman and a third-grade teacher at Howard Elementary School. The complaint asks the Oregon Employment Relations Board to order the district to stop using student folders to deliver anti-union material, post notice of its wrongdoing at all district work sites and notify parents. "Legally, we haven't done anything wrong," Long responded. Jim Bond, consultant for the Medford Education Association, said the newsletter misrepresented the nature of the negotiations. "We made a proposal that gives ample room to move with the understanding that no one gets everything they want, and a starting position is just that," Bond said. The teachers union seeks to maintain the major terms of its existing contract, which expires June 30. Meanwhile, district officials, faced with higher costs and lower state funding because of declining enrollment, want to trim expenses by reducing annual raises and health benefits and giving teachers more duties. Nearly 200 teachers gathered at Hedrick Middle School in east Medford Wednesday for a silent rally to support the union and show their displeasure over the newsletter. "I got tears in my eyes when I saw the letter," said Kelly Larson, a fifth-grade teacher at Griffin Creek Elementary who turned out for the demonstration. "I felt it was very disrespectful. I couldn't believe the district was taking such a negative route with us." Larry Nicholson, chairman of the Medford School Board, defended the district's decision to distribute the newsletters. "We are going to vigorously defend our obligation to inform parents of issues that affect students," Nicholson said. "We are negotiating contracts for all our employees, not just our teachers. We have to get a handle on employee costs or we'll be dealing with a deficit of $12 million to $18 million, and we just can't do that." Reach reporter Paris Achen by calling 541-776-4459 or [email protected] . Advertisement s Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker Custom Build Computers Discount Hotel Reservations online casinos news Ashley Furniture HomeStore Send Flowers Southern Oregon Loans California Casinos GMAT Prep Windermere Van Vleet Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Online Casino Fundraisers Sudoku Online Casinos Canada Online Pharmacy