We have established this page to inform the community about collective bargaining with district employees represented by labor unions.
2023 CEA Bargaining
On August 27, 2023, our district proposed a two-year contract to the Camas Education Association (CEA) that included a raise of 5.7% for the 23/24 school year. Below are comparisons among different steps on the proposed 23/24 teacher salary schedule for Camas alongside neighboring districts. View the offer. View the PDF of the Summary of Bargaining Topics.
Top Step Salary Scale | |
EVERGREEN** | $119,419 |
CAMAS | $118,363 |
WASHOUGAL | $117,876 |
RIDGEFIELD | $116,346 |
VANCOUVER | $116,086 |
HOCKINSON* | $112,983 |
BATTLEGROUND* | $111,175 |
WOODLAND | $111,174 |
LA CENTER* | $110,812 |
7 yrs, MA, Salary Scale | |
EVERGREEN** | $86,148 |
CAMAS | $85,067 |
WASHOUGAL | $81,624 |
VANCOUVER | $80,385 |
RIDGEFIELD | $79,943 |
BATTLEGROUND* | $79,813 |
HOCKINSON | $78,237 |
WOODLAND | $76,984 |
LA CENTER* | $76,733 |
Entry-Level Salary Scale | |
EVERGREEN** | $64,927 |
CAMAS | $63,278 |
WASHOUGAL | $62,541 |
RIDGEFIELD | $61,996 |
VANCOUVER | $61,589 |
HOCKINSON | $59,943 |
WOODLAND | $58,984 |
LA CENTER | $58,792 |
BATTLEGROUND* | $58,133 |
*Note: These districts currently have open contracts, so a 4.5% inflationary factor was used for comparison purposes.
**Evergreen rates reflect the latest district proposal dated August 9, 2023.
View our most current proposed salary schedules.
Questions & Answers
STRIKE ISSUES
CEA stated that today, September 5, the district didn’t come to bargaining until 2 PM and yesterday not until 3 PM. Why are you not at the table? There is a recurring rhetoric that our district isn’t at the table, and it is patently false. Our bargaining team typically assembles around 8 AM and often stays until 7 PM or later. Monday and today are no different. What is true is that each team has its own conference room to caucus, and they come together to share at different points in the day to discuss proposals. Lately, caucus periods have been exceptionally long on both sides as we work to develop creative solutions to items without agreement.
Why are you closing schools during the strike? Can’t we have substitute teachers teaching students? Currently, we have around 150 substitutes, which doesn’t come close to the number of teachers we would need. Additionally, many also substitute in other districts.
If our schools don’t start on August 28, will we have to make up the missed day(s)? State law requires 180 days of instruction, and the state will grant no exceptions to that law because of a strike. Makeup days would first follow our inclement weather makeup days. However, final decisions about when strike-lost school days will be made up will be determined when the strike is complete. Possible make-up days can include Saturdays, winter break, spring break, non-student work days, and days added at the end of the year. School cannot legally be held on Sundays or holidays.
Will athletics be allowed to continue while schools are closed? Coaches have a separate contract that would not be impacted by a CEA strike.
What about childcare and preschool? All preschools would be closed until school resumes. Plans are being made for some childcare opportunities through Community Education. Information about childcare will be shared if the start of school is delayed.
I’m not in CEA. Am I supposed to go to work? Employees who follow the school day calendar (9- and 10-month staff) will not report to work until the school year officially begins. Year-round staff members will work their normal schedule.
SALARIES
How much are Camas teachers earning? When did they last receive a raise? Camas teachers receive raises on a regular basis. Over the last three years, teachers have seen total increases between 8.3% and 11.6%.
Total Compensation | Starting Teacher | 7 yrs., MA | Top Teacher |
2020-21 | $54,469 | $71,949 | $103,130 |
2021-22 | $55,667 | $78,519 | $105,399 |
2022-23 | $59,724 | $80,286 | $111,711 |
Three-year % Change | 9.7% | 11.6% | 8.3% |
Is the district proposing salary cuts? How can we go backward in pay? Our current proposal offers a 4.95% increase in the first year of the contract plus IPD for years two and three.
Total Compensation | Starting Teacher | 7 yrs., MA | Top Teacher |
2023-24 | $62,679 | $84,263 | $117,242 |
One-year % Change | 4.95% | 4.95% | 4.95% |
The district is using IPD to calculate raises rather than CPI, which we had in our last agreement. Why? The State of Washington calculates funding for salary increases based on the US Implicit Price Deflator for Personal Consumption (IPD), not the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Using IPD more closely aligns our spending with revenue.
From our state’s Office of Financial Management: The IPD measures the prices of a much wider group of goods and services than the CPI. For example, the IPD includes all consumption of health care rather than just out of pocket expenses and consumer purchased insurance measured in the CPI. The IPD is based on current economic conditions and consumer expenditures, tastes and preferences. It is frequently used to adjust state economic and revenue data. The state expenditure limit is based on the IPD as well as inflation adjustments in the state’s biennial budget.
https://ofm.wa.gov/washington-data-research/economy-and-labor-force/inflation
Timeline of Activities: 2023 CEA Bargaining
Timeline of Activities: 2023 PSE Bargaining
Timeline of Activities: 2023 CAEOP Bargaining
Our goals for all contract negotiations:
Recruit & Retain
- Fair and competitive compensation for all roles in the school district
- Reward staff who continue to serve our district
Grow & Innovate
- Invest in professional growth and training for all staff
- Create the capacity to develop programming to meet evolving student needs
- Develop alternative revenue sources
Sustain
- Maintain capacity to support staff with curriculum, resources, and programs needed for student learning
- Align district staffing with the state funding model
- Maintain capacity for enrichment activities