Teachers in Medford, Phoenix and Talent in negotiations over contracts

MEDFORD, Ore.- Teachers in Medford, Phoenix and Talent are in negotiations with their respective school districts over contracts.

The Medford Education Association (MEA) began negotiations with the school district in April and have not reached an agreement yet.

According to the MEA, teachers have been working without contracts since the start of this school year. Though they’ve been bargaining for months, MEA says its biggest priority hasn’t been addressed yet.

“Article 12 and it’s our working conditions, and our working conditions are our students’ learning conditions and I think that you would find from every teacher that that’s where their biggest concerns come from,” MEA President Jessica Fitzsimmons told NBC5.

Both Medford and Phoenix-Talent Education Associations continued their bargaining sessions with their respective districts November 1. While some tentative agreements have been reached, a final contract has not been agreed upon for either school district.

The Medford School District told NBC5, “The Medford School District (MSD) and Medford Education Association (MEA) have been engaged in good-faith negotiations since April 2023. We are not at an impasse and are actively working to find common ground on a contract that aligns with our guiding principles of providing a high-quality student experience; safety and security; professional learning; high-quality staff and financial stability. We are committed to transparency and have posted updates after each bargaining session to the homepage of our website. We look forward to finding a mutually acceptable agreement with MEA”.