OSEA and the ESD began the process of bargaining a successor contract to replace the 2022-26 contract that is set to expire on June 30, 2026. The first meeting focused on bargaining process and outlined expectations moving forward.

• The first ground rules bargaining session was held on January 13, 2026.
• Both OSEA and the ESD came prepared with draft ground rules for bargaining.
• During the session, the two teams worked collaboratively to merge the drafts into a single set of proposed ground rules.
• The parties tentatively agreed on these ground rules, which establish the terms and structure for bargaining.

The agreed-upon ground rules will be formally implemented at the next bargaining session:

• Thursday, February 12, 2026, at 2:30 p.m.

Importantly, the ground rules reflect a shared commitment to transparency:

• Bargaining sessions will be open to the public.
• All sessions will be virtually streamed by the ESD, allowing interested staff to observe the process.

At this stage, the focus of bargaining has been on establishing how we will work together, rather than on substantive contract proposals. Additional updates will be shared as the process progresses.

Thank you to the bargaining team members:

• Ethan Akre, Support Technician 2
• Margaret Bertucci, Braille Transcriber II
• Yolanda Coleman, Director of Human Resources
• Marianne Como, SPR&I Distribution Manager
• Catherine Dalbey, Chief Human Resources Officer
• Jessica Duffett, Special Education Coordinator
• Tami Frame, Transition Specialist
• Michelle Graham, NWRESD Board of Directors
• Brian Hungerford, Attorney
• Anderson Kishlock, Senior Admin. Support
• Stuart Long, Chief Information Officer
• Lana Mann, Technical Engineer 1
• Chris Riley, NWRESD Board of Directors
• Piper Ryan, School Based Admin. Assistant
• Baylor Turnbow, OSEA Field Representative
• Jennifer Vanderschure, Director of Early Learning
• Carmen Vega-Martinez, Instructional Assistant
• Laura Weaver, EI/ECSE Site Admin. Assistant