Portland Public Schools is negotiating with several of its labor unions as it looks to patch an unexpected $10 million midyear budget gap, presenting most with the choice to furlough or lay off large numbers of employees.
The district has offered unions the options of two furlough days or hundreds of layoffs. The district estimates each furlough day would save about $3 million. In the other scenario, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported today, the Portland Association of Teachers would face 170 layoffs. An email from the Portland Federation of School Professionals to its members says about 100 employees in their ranks would be laid off.
If it comes down to furloughs, PAT is advocating for tiered furloughs that would apply based on pay scale, ensuring the lowest-paid employees are insulated from housing or food insecurity…