01/22/2026
🚨🚨UPDATES FROM RTPA🚨🚨
Ratification Update:
With 342 members casting ballots, the early retirement incentive plan passed this afternoon with over 96% of the votes cast in support. Congratulations to our retirees! There will be an informational session for qualified members on Wednesday January 28th -- time and location are in tonight's member update email.
Overview of the Fact-Finding Process:
1. Once impasse has been declared, each party appoints one person to serve on a three-person fact-finding hearing panel. RUSD appointed their Attorney and RTPA appointed their CTA Staff Representative.
2. Within five days of the appointment of each party’s panel member, PERB is responsible for appointing a neutral chairperson.
3. If both parties agree, they may submit to PERB a jointly selected neutral chairperson to serve as the fact-finding panel chair. RUSD proposed, and the Union agreed to the PERB-appointed panel chair for this fact-finding.
4. Once confirmed by PERB, the three-member fact-finding panel is responsible for convening a hearing where information is presented by each of the parties and reviewed pursuant to the specific criteria set out in the Educational Employment Relations Act (EERA) – our collective bargaining law. This legal process is designed to ensure that the panel’s findings and recommendations are fair and comprehensive.
5. During this process the parties may still confidentially explore options for settlement. RUSD and RTPA held six (6) lengthy meetings, but were unable to reach a fair settlement.
6. If no settlement is reached within 30 days of the appointment of the panel, the chairperson of the panel is responsible for preparing a written report, setting forth their findings based on the statutory criteria and their recommendations for settlement. We expect the report will be filed with PERB Friday January 23rd.
7. The fact-finding report is advisory only and not binding on either party. RUSD and RTPA will not have a contract until an agreement is negotiated, signed and ratified by both parties. RTPA has been working without a contract since June 30, 2025.
8. Once drafted, the fact-finding report is initially released confidentially, only to the parties. The draft fact-finding report was issued by the panel chair to RUSD and RTPA on Tuesday, January 20, 2026.
9. Upon confidential receipt of the draft fact-finding report, the parties are required to consider the panel’s recommendations and may meet again in a final effort to resolve their remaining disagreements prior to the fact-finding report being made Public. On January 20th, RTPA proposed meeting with the RUSD bargaining team and possibly including a RUSD School Board Member. As of 6pm January 21st, RUSD has not agreed to meet.
10. If there is no settlement, the written report will be formally issued to the parties and filed with PERB. RTPA expects the panel chair to file the fact-finding report with PERB on Friday, January 23, 2026, RUSD is required to make the fact-finding report public no later than ten (10) days after the District receives a copy of the filed report.
11. Once the fact-finding report has been officially filed with PERB and formally issued to the parties, RUSD and RTPA must consider the fact-finding report. Once the parties have each considered the fact-finding report the bargaining process has been exhausted and in the absence of a final agreement, the RUSD may implement its last, best offer of 2%.
12. Once the fact-finding report has been officially filed with PERB and formally issued to the parties, RUSD and RTPA must consider the fact-finding report. Once the parties have each considered the fact-finding report the bargaining process has been exhausted and in the absence of a final agreement, RTPA may legally strike. The date for this process to be exhausted is as soon as January 24, 2026.
13. The duty to bargain may be revived at any time during this process should either party offer material concessions or indicate a willingness to compromise on their prior position(s). RTPA has diligently engaged in this process, with a settlement minded focus. RTPA remains open to any fair settlement offer from RUSD. RTPA also remains committed to fighting for safe and fully staffed schools for our students.
14. Separate, but related because it will greatly increase RUSD’s financial ability in 2026-27, the parties negotiated a retirement incentive. This means that RUSD will have additional financial resources for RTPA salaries and
the cost of 1% for the entire RTPA bargaining unit will be significantly reduced every year moving forward, beginning next year, 2026-27. Please note, districts are only able to offer retirement incentives if the district yields cost savings for the district.
Next steps:
Please be on the look out for formal Strike Vote information coming your way in the next week.
