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R.R. teachers, board resume talks next week By VICKI GUARINO ROGUE RIVER -- Teachers and school board will go back into negotiations next week, but it's unclear whether some new concessions are in the making. Board Chairman Dave Cunningham requested the meeting Wednesday, after a Tuesday night board meeting where parents urged the board to settle the matter. Superintendent Charles Hellman said parents fear the dispute could wind up in a teachers' strike. The negotiating session will begin at 5 p.m Tuesday at Rogue River Middle School. Hellman said the board decided to request the meeting to continue discussing contract terms that have been in dispute for nearly a year. "The meeting is to continue to discuss what the issues are, what the requests are," Hellman said. "The hope is that it can be resolved." Hellman said there is no new board proposal. Teachers' negotiator Steve Straughn, however, is expecting some major concessions by next week. "Basically, all I can say is we assume they've made a major change in their position," Straughn said Wednesday, after agreeing to the meeting. The Oregon Education Association representative noted that the last session ended with the mediator's admonition that for the two sides to make any progress toward a settlement, bargaining positions would have to shift in some way. "We haven't changed our position," Straughn said. Rogue River's 80 teachers are in the first week of a monthlong cooling-off period. They could vote to strike at any time, but may not walk off the job until the 30-day period has elapsed. They are seeking a basic raise of 2 percent, plus an incremental raise of 3.35 percent based on experience. The board, which made the last offer in the negotiating process, agreed last week to the incremental raise, and a 1 percent raise to top-salaried teachers. Across-the-board raises of 1 percent would come in the proposed contract's second and third years. But the board is conditioning raises on increased revenue. If state support fails to rise by 3.5 percent, no raises would be funded. Without the revenue increase, board members have said, the district doesn't have the money for raises. The level of state funding will be determined by the Legislature in this session. As the contract talks continue, teachers continue working under terms of last year's contract. Although a strike is possible, Straughn has said a strike vote probably would not be taken as long as the two sides continue talks. Parents who crowded Tuesday's school board meeting are concerned nonetheless. Hellman said board members tried to reassure parents that they were pursuing a settlement. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1998, Medford, Oregon USA