Negotiators Urged to Unify Statewide Efforts
Statewide unity was the theme as about 260 negotiators representing
more than 100 local associations gathered at the WEAC Statewide Bargaining
Conference November 6-7 in Stevens Point.
"It's ultimately important that whatever we do at the bargaining
table, we do it together," said Bob West, WEAC's director of collective
bargaining.
 NEA bargaining director Arden Shumaker urged
local association negotiators to bargain innovative
school improvement provisions that involve
staff in school decision-making. Beside the podium
is an enlarged photograph from a
recent Richland Center school board meeting .
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West told local association bargainers not to rush to settle their
1999-00 and 2000-01 contracts but rather to work toward fair contracts
that reflect statewide goals.
One of those goals, he said, is to reject what is called "cast-forward
costing." Under that process, school boards determine their costs
by counting teachers who have retired or resigned as if they were advancing
on the salary schedule. By overestimating their costs in this way, districts
underestimate the amount of money available for teacher salary and benefit
increases.
Instead, he said, locals must insist on the use of "position
to position" costing, which reflects actual costs.
"This is an honest and reasonable approach," West said.
In the conference keynote speech, NEA bargaining director Arden Shumaker
urged negotiators to follow the lead of several large urban locals that
have developed partnerships with management.
"We must become as responsible for these schools as management,"
he said.
Negotiators urged to bargain for school improvement measures
Local association negotiators should aggressively bargain for school
improvement provisions such as reduced class size – and let the
community know about it.
That was one of the key suggestions offered by WEAC division managers
at the Statewide Bargaining Conference.
Don’t be intimidated by the fact that some of these provisions
are permissive subjects of bargaining, said Katie Schultz Stout, director
of Instruction and Professional Development.
“Take these issues to the bargaining table and make the school
board say no or yes,” she said.
Among the issues that should be discussed, she said, are teacher licensure,
mentoring programs, joint planning time, time off for participation
in the teacher Professional Standards Council, elementary school planning
time, school calendar, paid time for special education meetings, child
nutrition and health, on-site day care, and reduced class size.
“We want to make the board talk about what’s good for kids
and the people who teach them,” Schultz Stout said.
And don’t be shy about letting the community know you are fighting
for these policies that help improve the education of children, said
Dick Vander Woude, director of public relations/communications.
Building relationships with local media representatives is an essential
part of improving your public relations, he said. When reporters need
a comment on education, they go to people they know. If they have built
relationships with school board members or administrators, that is whom
they go to first. Local associations should develop relationships so
that reporters come to them first, he said.
By having strong relationships with the media, local associations can
better control the images the media creates of them.
“We can take direct responsibility for positioning ourselves,”
he said.
In other presentations:
- Government Relations Director John Stocks urged all negotiators
to “sing from the same song sheet” on bargaining and education
issues. That creates more influence in the Legislature, he said.
- Legal counsel Tony Sheehan, representing Legal Director Bruce Meredith,
provided an overview of ongoing WEAC legal efforts to challenge the
QEO law.
Posted December 2, 1998