COLUMBUS, Ohio — After months of negotiations, members of the Columbus Education Association (CEA) will meet on Sunday to vote on whether the group will strike.

The vote, which came after the union met 22 times in the past five months with the Columbus School Board, did not result in a new deal.

CEA will be held from 6:30 PM to 11:59 PM at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. If the group votes to strike, it will take effect immediately.

Columbus City Schools will begin the 2022-23 school year on Wednesday.

The school district has provided plans for the school year ahead of a potential strike and has provided details of a distance learning plan in which a full-time substitute will provide instruction. Additional details about the district’s plans are available on the district’s website. website.

The faculty union and board met for the last time on Thursday for about 12 hours.

After the meeting, CEA spokesperson Regina Fuentes said the board would reduce class sizes, place full-time art, music and physical education teachers at the primary level and ensure that students are in all buildings. He said there was no move to guarantee that the HVAC would work.

“The CEA is disappointed that the board has once again separated from the students. The CEA remains committed to negotiating appropriate study conditions for Columbus students,” said Fuentes.

Districts outlined their latest proposals to the CEA in a release issued Saturday night.

You can read the terms of the board’s offer below:

MORE MONEY GUARANTEE FOR TEACHERS AND ALL CEA MEMBERS

• Guaranteed 3% salary increase every year for 3 years.

• $2,000 per retention and recruitment bonus for CEA members.

• By the end of the contract, a teacher whose district average salary was $74,000 in the most recent school year will have earned more than $91,000. This is a 23% increase from the start of the contract.

• Starting teachers earn over $50,000 in the first year of their contract. Its salary increases rapidly from guaranteed annual raises.

Commitment to Solving Air Conditioning Problems

• The last, best, and final letter contained in the offer is that the school board has signed a contract and/or to install air conditioning in all schools with the exception of Mifflin Middle School, with central air in approximately 50% of the building. or clearly state that you have promised funds. The district’s proposed facility master plan aims to replace it with a new middle school.

K-5 Grade Small Class Initiatives

• Kindergarten through 5th grade class sizes will begin to decrease in 2022-2023, with no class exceeding 28 students, and class sizes will continue to decrease until the maximum class size is 27.

Creative Approaches to Paid Time Off for New Parents

• The board provides paid family leave that was previously unavailable. In case of birth, adoption or foster placement, the teacher can take her 30 days leave. Also, much of that paid leave can be taken without using sick leave.

More help for students by more professionals

• The final best and final offer includes an agreement (technically a memorandum called ) is included. New employees become CEA members.

Give teachers more time to plan

• The final best and final offer agreement provides teachers with a day dedicated to planning with out-of-school students for each of the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years. The teacher will be able to work remotely during the day and planning dates will be coordinated to provide her one four-day weekend in her February of each grade.

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