8/22/25 While teachers were planning for the upcoming school year today, LCEA was asked to  meet with a PERC Mediator right after school in hopes to finalize our contract with LCSD.  After meeting until nearly 10pm, the district has made no movement and continues to offer half of  LCEA’s 2.3%, Zero Sum Transaction offer that is below current cost of living.  The district continues to refuse to pass cost of living allocations to LaCenter Certificated Staff.  They continue to push LCEA to fund their $2.1 million ending fund balance.  

We want you to remember that LCEA offered mediation to the district during the spring and summer to avoid this, but the district refused both times.  It feels as if the district wants to force a work stoppage that will impact students and families.

We will continue to do all we can to prevent a work stoppage, but LC Certificated employees are struggling as we fight at the table for a cost of living adjustment that will cost the district nothing.  The LC students and community deserve better.   

We will be back to mediation with the district on Monday at 4pm.  We would encourage any community members wishing to show support by rallying at the high school in support of LCEA at 3:30 on Monday.  

Your La Center Certificated Employees sincerely appreciate all of the support we have seen and continue to gain strength from our community.  

8/ 21/25 LCEA and the La Center School District began bargaining for a new contract back in February.  Since then, both parties have reached numerous agreements on contract language that addresses a wide range of interests covered by our Collective Bargaining Agreement. The last piece on the table addresses salaries and has recently become contentious. The current dispute is over the 2.3% cost-of-living adjustment that the district will receive from the State of Washington for the 2025-26 school year. The Association firmly believes that these funds earmarked for COLA should rightfully be passed along to staff salaries. The district would like to keep half of it to bolster their end-fund balance. While surrounding districts and most districts across the state pass through this inflationary increase, to its educators, the La Center School District has cited “financial instability”, while sitting on a 2.1 million dollar reserve. While keeping the best interest of students in mind, as well as the district’s narrative that they need to “keep the district financially stable”, LCEA has adamantly asked for an increase of only the State-funded 2.3%, which would cost the La Center School District…..$0.00.

As negotiations over the COLA reached an impasse, the Association overwhelmingly voted to authorize a work stoppage if the full COLA is not applied to staff salaries. On Thursday morning, LCEA countered the district’s proposed (1.15% COLA) with 2.3% COLA as their last, best, and final offer for any cost of living increases in 2025-26. In recognition of the volatility of funding, LCEA’s cost of living proposal is for one year, which gives both sides an opportunity to see how the financial landscape changes over the course of the next four year duration of the full contract.  LCEA and LCSD would then bargain COLA each year of the contract.  LCEA is incredibly reluctant to bargain these funds away as they are the State’s only overture toward staff keeping up with real inflation, which, as everyone knows, exceeds 2.3%.

LCEA’s membership sincerely hopes that a work stoppage will not become necessary. The bargaining team will continue to engage diligently with the district to reach a solution that meets everyone’s best interests. As an avenue for collaboration, this afternoon LCEA has agreed to enter Mediation with PERC “Public Employment Relations Commission.”  LCEA requested mediation at two different points during this bargain and the district declined each time.  LCEA asked the district twice to go to mediation when it was obvious the district has no intention of passing through the money intended for educators. The La Center School District denied those requests and is now, finally, trying to find resolution through mediation. LCEA is happy to continue bargaining with the mediation process in the hopes that we can find common ground.