Negotiators for Ross Schools and union contract team members met earlier Thursday for their latest in a series of contract discussions.
Late Thursday afternoon officials from the Ross Education Association (REA) and the Ohio Education Association (OEA) then announced a tentative agreement has been reached.
The next step in the process is for the REA membership to vote on the proposed pact late afternoon on Dec. 18 at the Strike Headquarters.
If approved by union members, the Ross Board of Education is scheduled to meet and vote on the possible final approval of the new contract at its 6 p.m. the same day.
REA President Jennifer Chuhak, stated in an announcement about the proposed labor contract that public support of their cause helped propel talks to this point.
“The bargaining team and REA leadership deeply values the strong support we have received from parents, families and the members of the REA. That support helped us negotiate a tentative agreement that we feel shows our members they have been heard, they are respected, and they will be supported,” said Chuhak.
Amy Brossart, a Ross teacher and spokeswoman for the REA, stated: “We are grateful that with this agreement we are more likely to retain the amazing educators that our students and community members have come to know and with them in our classrooms continue to provide the excellent education that Ross Local Schools is known for.”
Neither side released details of the tentative agreement for teachers in the five-building school system, which enrolls about 2,800 students.
Talks have been on-going since early this year. The current, automatically extended collective bargaining agreement expired Aug. 31.
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