Collective bargaining is the process through which Northwest Regional ESD and union representatives work together to establish the terms of employee contracts. These agreements outline wages, benefits, and working conditions.

Each bargaining team includes representatives from the district and members selected by the union. You can find the current bargaining team members on the bargaining webpage.

What to know about the bargaining process

• Bargaining is a good faith process. Both the district and the union are required to engage in meaningful discussions and work toward an agreement. Although both parties aim to reach agreement, neither side is required to accept a proposal or make specific concessions.
• Bargaining focuses on specific topics. State law defines which topics must be negotiated. These generally include wages, benefits, hours, leave, and other working conditions.
• Some topics are not part of bargaining. Certain decisions are outside the scope of bargaining under state law, including areas that are primarily related to management responsibilities or that are governed by existing law.
• The process takes time. Bargaining involves a series of sessions over which both parties share proposals, ask questions, offer counter proposals and work through areas of agreement and disagreement. 
• Additional steps are available if needed. If an agreement is not reached through direct discussions, the parties may choose to bring in a neutral third party to help facilitate progress.

Key Terms

• Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA): A legally binding contract between NWRESD and the union that outlines wages, benefits, working conditions, and other employment-related provisions.
• Mandatory subjects of bargaining: Topics that must be negotiated under state law, such as wages, benefits, and working conditions.
• Permissive subjects of bargaining: Topics that may be discussed voluntarily but are not required to be negotiated.
• Prohibited subjects of bargaining: Topics that cannot legally be negotiated because they conflict with state or federal law.
• Grievable: A contract provision that can be formally challenged if there is a concern about how it has been applied or interpreted.
• Mediation: A step that may be used later in the process, where a neutral third party helps both sides work toward an agreement if needed.

The NWRESD budget is developed through a collaborative, multi-step process that involves program leaders, fiscal staff, executive leadership, component school districts, community members and the board.

Unlike many organizations, NWRESD’s funding comes from a variety of sources—including state and federal funding, grants, contracts, and fee-for-service work with school districts. Much of this funding is restricted to specific programs or services and cannot be used flexibly across the organization.

In addition, a significant portion of public education funding is determined at the state level through the legislative process, where the Governor and Legislature establish overall funding levels and priorities. This means that local decisions are shaped by factors beyond the district’s control.

Several key factors influence how much funding is available, including:

• State, federal, and grant funding levels
• The number of students served and services provided
• Costs that are set outside of the district’s control, such as health insurance and retirement contributions
• Legislative or policy changes that increase costs or administrative requirements without additional funding

Because most of the budget supports people, decisions about wages and benefits are closely connected to the district’s overall financial picture.

Compensation is determined through the collective bargaining process, where the district and union work together to align wages, benefits, and working conditions with available resources and long-term sustainability.

Our goal is to make decisions that support our staff while sustaining high-quality services for students and families over the long term.
We know school funding can be complex, particularly when examining the education service district context. We’ve included additional resources below for those who want to explore the details.

• Funding Foundations presentation for Northwest Regional employees at our August 2024 all staff inservice
• How Budget and Policy Decisions Are Made For Special Education recording and slide deck from a special education advocacy training done in partnership with the Children’s Institute

Several factors influence how much funding is available in a given year.

NWRESD is funded through a mix of state and federal funding, grants, contracts, and fee-for-service work with school districts. Much of this funding is restricted to specific programs or services and cannot be used flexibly across the organization.

In addition, funding levels are influenced by:

• Student enrollment numbers
• The amount of services school districts choose to purchase
• State, federal, and grant funding levels
• Costs that are set outside of the district’s control, such as health insurance and retirement contributions
• Legislative or policy changes that increase costs or administrative requirements without additional funding
• Economic conditions that affect state revenues and local budgets

Because these factors can change from year to year, budget planning requires careful consideration of both current conditions and long-term sustainability.

Increases in funding do not always translate into flexible dollars that can be used for wages and benefits.

Much of NWRESD’s funding is restricted to specific programs or services, meaning it can only be used for certain purposes. In addition, increases in funding are often offset by rising costs, such as health insurance, retirement contributions, and other required expenses.

Some funding sources—particularly grants—may be temporary or tied to specific initiatives, which limits their use for ongoing commitments like salaries.

Because most of the budget supports people, even small changes in costs can have a significant impact on what can be sustained over time.

For these reasons, decisions about compensation are made by considering both current funding and the district’s ability to sustain those commitments in the future.

Bargaining focuses on topics related to wages, benefits, and working conditions.

These may include:

• Compensation (such as wages and salary schedules)
• Benefits (such as health insurance and leave)
• Hours and working conditions
• Other terms that affect employees’ day-to-day work

State law defines which topics must be negotiated and which are outside the scope of bargaining.

Throughout the process, both the district and the union bring forward proposals and work through areas of agreement and disagreement over time.

NWRESD’s goal is to reach an agreement that supports staff while sustaining high-quality services for students and families over the long term.

We are committed to ensuring every student—particularly those who have been historically marginalized or experience disability—has access to the services and support they need to succeed.

Achieving that goal requires balancing:

• Supporting our staff
• Maintaining high-quality services
• Making financially responsible decisions that can be sustained over time

NWRESD is committed to providing timely, accurate, and accessible information throughout the bargaining and budget development processes.

We have created a public bargaining webpage where you can find:

• Updates after bargaining sessions
• Copies of proposals and related materials
• Dates of upcoming bargaining sessions and links to livestreams of those sessions

We will continue to update this page throughout the process so those who are interested can stay informed.

We also share updates through internal communication channels and with key stakeholders, including component school district staff and families served in our programs.