Averting a strike, Southeast and its teachers’ union agreed on wage increases and student discipline

Southeast teachers have reached a tentative agreement with the district’s board of education, averting a strike that could have had district students starting the year with substitute teachers.

The Aug. 16 agreement capped four months of negotiations during which the teachers’ union issued a 10-day strike notice. Teachers had been working without a contract since June 30. The new contract will be effective through 2026, said Monica Kiskadden, a Southeast teacher and spokesperson for the Southeast Local District Teachers Association.

The tentative agreement includes solutions to longstanding difficulties that Southeast teachers have been facing as well as addressing school board concerns, Kiskadden said. 

“One of the most critical components of the tentative agreement is in the area of administrative support for student discipline,” Kiskadden said. “The agreement also has wage increases that will be a significant step in ensuring that Southeast teachers are no longer among the lowest-paid teachers in Portage County.”

Teachers agreed to increase the school day effective academic year 2024-25 and to increase what they pay for insurance, Kiskadden said.

SELDTA represents approximately 200 teachers, librarians, counselors, nurses and other Southeast staff.

“We are pleased with the agreement and look forward to a fantastic start to the new school year,” Kiskadden said. “At the end of the day, this agreement is about having the tools and quality staff that we need to serve our students in the best ways that we possibly can. Everything we did at the bargaining table was done with that as the goal.”

Southeast’s board of education is expected to approve the agreement during its Aug. 21 meeting. Union members will vote on the contract Aug. 29.

“The board congratulates district administration and SELDTA leadership for putting in the hard work to achieve resolution on the contract, and we look forward to working together to ensure another great school year for the Southeast Local school community,” Southeast Board of Education President Mary Kaley said.

Southeast Superintendent Bob Dunn said the tentative agreement is “beneficial to everyone involved.”

“We believe once ratified, the agreement will help us recruit and retain outstanding staff members for years to come. We are excited to have this behind us, and now our outstanding teachers can focus on the start of the school year,” he said.