Whoa! There’s a lot going on here! A new COVID leave pool, recruitment bonuses, extra pay for some life skills IAs, as well as some other resources too!
The LCEA negotiations team and Lane ESD have arrived at three MOUs regarding the vaccine mandate and the staffing crisis. While the MOUs certainly do not include all of the protections that we were initially hoping they would, and which we will still continue to advocate for, we believe that these agreements are good news for our members. We would like to thank the ESD negotiations team of Tony Scurto, Carol Knobbe, and Dave Standridge for all their hard work on these MOUs. Read on:
New protection for all members: the COVID Leave Pool
If an employee has to use more than five days of sick leave for a documented COVID-related reason, such as quarantine or caring for a family member in quarantine, they now may begin to draw from the COVID leave pool, which the district has set up with 2,500 hours of available leave. In most cases, employees may draw up to 10 days from this pool. Protecting our hard-earned leave is something we have been fighting for since the beginning of the pandemic, and we are glad to now have at least something in place. Feel free to reach out if you need help navigating this at any point. This MOU also has some provisions specifically for employees who began the year still needing to comply with the vaccine mandate. Read the full MOU here.
$500 Recruitment Incentive
The district is offering a bonus up to $500 for ESD employees who successfully refer a new hire. Spread the word! Read the full MOU here.
For Life Skills IAs
We are all suffering from the staffing shortage. Life Skills IAs, as a group, have especially been called upon to serve outside the scope of their typical assignment, including traveling to multiple job sites. If you are an IA traveling to multiple schools, you will now be eligible for extra pay for those travel days. Read the full MOU here.
Other Resources
We hear a lot of questions about members worried about what would happen to them and their job in the event of a COVID exposure. ODE has a pretty handy color-coded chart that runs through just about any scenario and what would happen. Check it out here, and share it around with your colleagues.
Want free COVID testing? Here are two avenues:
This Year
This school year has been intense and taxing. It has been, and probably will continue to be, an incredibly difficult year. Please reach out to us if there is a way we can help you or your colleagues. It is truly a privilege to support Lane County’s finest educators, and all the staff who make a difference in our students’ lives.
Sincerely,
The LCEA negotiations team:
Sarah Apker, Licensed Co-President
Michael Stockdale, Classified Co-President
Stuart Rush, Vice-President
Lane County Education Association 