District, teachers still at impasse over new contract

Negotiating teams from the Ketchikan School District and Ketchikan Education Association met on Wednesday to talk about salaries and health insurance. Those are the two main sticking points that have delayed negotiations of a new teacher contract.

According to an email from KEA Vice President Sarah Campbell, the two sides are closer in salary after Wednesday’s four-hour meeting. But, she says, the stalemate over health insurance remains.

Campbell reports that KEA feels the next step is to move forward with mediation, which is scheduled for Nov. 28^th and 29^th. However, she says the KEA team remains willing to meet again with the district in the meantime.

If mediation doesn’t resolve the impasse, arbitration is on the calendar for mid-December.

Negotiations have been ongoing for about two years. The former contract expired in spring of 2017.