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CLEAR Temp: 58 °F Wind: SSE at 3 mph Saturday, October 4, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine Joy Magazine Tempo A & E RogueValleyAutoFinder RogueValleyHomeFinder Real Estate Showcase Wellness Connection Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Employment Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend September 6, 2003 Eagle Point averts teacher strike School district, employees reach a contract settlement By DAMIAN MANN Mail Tribune EAGLE POINT — Teachers and the school district negotiated a contract settlement in the wee hours of Friday morning, averting a possible strike. "Eagle Point has never had a strike and I don’t think they’d ever want one," said Michael Remick, school district spokesman for the bargaining team. Details of the settlement will not be released until the new contract is ratified by teachers, support staff and the school board next week. District officials wanted to place a cap on insurance premiums and provide a small salary increase to its staff. Advertisement The $1,070 monthly premiums currently are paid entirely by the district and represent the highest share of any school system in the state. The contract affects 342 district employees and should help lessen the possibility of cutting days from the school year because of budget problems, said Remick. "We don’t have any planned cuts on the days," he said. "We’re waiting to see how the dust settles on this." Remick said the school board will meet Wednesday to ratify the contract. Union president Jody Streetman expects the settlement will be ratified by her fellow teachers on Tuesday. The agreement, which follows months of negotiations, is a compromise that apparently satisfied all parties, she said. "We’re very pleased and happy," said Streetman. "There was movement on both sides." Bargaining teams met at 3:30 p.m. Thursday and didn’t reach a settlement until 2:30 a.m. Friday. During the negotiations, about 100 district employees marched and held signs that demanded a fair contract. The district has been faced with one budget crisis after another, resulting in a sharp reduction in staff in 2000-01 when there were 454 employees under contract. School officials had planned to delay the school year by 20 days because of anticipated budget problems. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, or e-mail [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Rogue Valley Auto Finder Rogue Valley Job Finder --> Rogue Valley Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times