Michigan Association of School Administrators New Superintendent’s Conference September 26, 2006

1. Michigan Association of School AdministratorsNew Superintendent’s ConferenceSeptember 26, 2006

2. Negotiations: Practical Info Every Superintendent Needs to Know.Dr. Rodney Green SuperintendentEast China School District

3. PERA – Public Employment Relations Act • Duty to bargain • Meet and confer in good faith with respect to wages, hours, and conditions of employment • Neither party is compelled to agree to a proposal or make concessions • Good faith bargaining is manifesting an attitude and conduct that will be conducive to reaching an agreement

4. Bargaining is a continuous process • Preparation – review files, grievances, survey administration and board, put together facts regarding finances • Face to face negotiations • Contract administration • Then, preparation for the next round

5. Preparation • No substitute for facts – you should ALWAYS over prepare. Know your stuff. • Credibility goes with knowing the information • Benefits – health, dental, vision, LTD, Life • Payroll for the group; retirement, FICA • Budget – cost of steps for group • How many are at the top? How many opt out?

6. Comparison to Other Districts • Important step in the preparation for bargaining • Watch out for cherry picking • Make sure you’re grounded in the facts • Talk to other superintendents • Know the good stuff and bad stuff in your contract compared to other districts

7. Getting Started • What type of bargaining are you going to do? Full, expedited, interest based . . . • Who is on management team? • Chief Spokesperson, other administrators • Ground Rules for negotiations • Permissive subject • Media blackout – not necessarily in district’s best interest

8. What happens at the table in full bargaining? • Spokesperson • Only one person should be talking at table • Caucus • Use time wisely; get input from others on team • Taking Notes • Script every word as much as possible; one person should be designated

9. Strategies • How do you decide what to put on table? • Clean up language • Talk to building level administrators about issues • Proposals versus Practice • Are concessions possible? • Start strong and stick to it • Lay out concerns about health insurance, etc

10. Budget Issues • Dealing with the budget shows that the Board is concerned about spending • Board and administration need to be concerned about budget issues given the state-wide issues with retirement, etc. • Be cautious with buy outs. They are short term solutions and could send the wrong message to employees.

11. Prohibited Subjects of Bargaining • PA 112 • Policy holder for health insurance • Decisions concerning experimental or pilot programs and/or technology • Starting day of school • Amount of student contact time • Composition of site based decision making bodies or school improvement teams

12. Prohibited Subjects • Decision for open enrollment in or out of district • Authorization of a Public School Academy • Contracting for support services • Use of volunteers • Regional bargaining • Cannot veto local agreement

13. Ideas on Containing Health Insurance Costs • Language that caps cost for that year (when contract expires employees pay increase) – helps with the next round • Employees co-pay on premium • Self insure; HSA • Higher deductibles & higher co-pays on prescriptions

14. Ideas for Salary Increases • Tie to Foundation • Tie to total compensation • Tie to % of total pie • % 1st semester - % 2nd semester

15. Fund Balance • Is it important? • emergency, cash flow, borrow less, investment income, bond rating, executive order cuts • Some say districts are not a bank . . . • Cash flow is very important. • Two months for emergencies (16%) • Once its spent, its gone forever.

16. What About New Language? • Every word in contract restricts management rights • Find your philosophical base regarding management versus employee rights • Superintendents come and go – not so with employee groups

17. Tentative Agreements • Written only • Do not try to agree to things verbally • What should be retroactive? • Language • Pay • Who is affected? • How is the contract ratified?

18. Contract Administration • Past practice • Correcting a wrong practice Use contract language • Contract language becomes meaningless if it is not put into practice • Grievance administration

19. What happens when the Contract Expires? • Terms and conditions still apply • Extension or no extension • No extension means no arbitration on grievances • Union pressure tactics • “We want a contract” really means, “We want a raise”. • Buttons, picketing, work to rule, etc. • MEA seems to target superintendent  • Frame the issue -- “Benefits and salaries are important and difficult issues and we’re working to reach agreement”

20. Patience is a Key Factor • Patience and More patience – The board must realize this. Talk to members about process and how it is important to allow the process to work. • Impatient board members and administrators make bad deals • Quick Deal – There are no good quick deals (or at least very few)

21. Involving the Board • Keep the Board updated • Go over parameters and confidentiality early • Executive sessions • Legal issues

22. Unfair Labor Practice Charges • Another pressure tactic • Don’t change tactics because of a threat to file • Good faith bargaining does not mean saying yes. You can listen and still say no. • Once you have a tentative agreement, make sure it includes dropping the unfair labor practice charges

23. Impasse • Bargain in good faith to impasse • You can bargain to impasse on one item, if necessary • Implementation will be difficult • Make sure you have an attorney if you’re thinking of bargaining to impasse

24. Mediation • You don’t generally meet the union across the table • You meet in your own groups and mediator goes back and forth between • Prepare – Convince the mediator of the facts and you’ll have a better chance to reach an agreement

25. Work to Rule • Refusal to perform activities or duties that are part of normal day to day could be viewed as a partial strike within PERA • Union employees have a right to engage in concerted activities, if those concerted activities result in a refusal to perform normal services, such activity may not be protected under PERA

26. Work to Rule • If voluntary activities have normally been done (ie chaperoning dances), not performing this duty during a contract dispute could be a violation • Concerted activity to refuse may not be protected under PERA • Michigan Negotiators Association is a good resource for superintendents

27. How to Deal With Media • What to say • Could give table positions • Get the district message out; frame the issue • Don’t say • Cannot give sidebar or off the record proposals or positions • Don’t disparage union position, talk about your position

28. Do’s and Don’ts regarding proper communications • Do, when questioned, accurately inform employee of the facts, status and table position of the employer • Do, when questioned, clarify certain contract proposals or answer employee questions regarding interpretation of proposals • Don’t inquire what went on at a union meeting

29. Don’ts regarding proper communications • Don’t offer directly to employees something not offered at the table • Don’t call an employee into your office to discuss negotiations • Don’t state to any employee that we could reach a settlement if association representatives would get out of the way • Don’t misrepresent association bargaining position or imply association proposals were in some respect adverse to employee interests

30. Sidebar • Off the Record • Usually one from each side or maybe two people from each side • Actually get something done • Sometimes used to get the final deal done

31. Off the Record • You can also do “off the record” written proposals • Sometimes after side bar discussion • Sometimes done the whole negotiations • Helps with comfort level – realistic positions • Denote on form “off the record written proposal” • Can pull back if doesn’t help settle

32. Expedited Bargaining • Limit the issues • Set time limits • Smaller teams • Informal, almost like a side bar or off the record

33. Interest Based Bargaining • Training for both sides is available • Facilitators from management and union help facilitate the bargaining sessions • More collaborative than full bargaining • Each team member is expected to contribute in some fashion in the sessions

34. Interest Based Bargaining • Story – everyone contributes to the story • Interests • Options – brainstorming • Straw Design – combinations of options • Evaluation • Consensus – everyone has to agree • Based on the concept of building relationships – soft on people, hard on the problem

35. Relationship with Union • Sometimes bargaining is a power struggle • Everything becomes an issue • Don’t take it personally • Follow through, build trust • Be good with the numbers, don’t cry wolf • Make sure people can read you • Establish trust and credibility and both sides can establish power base

36. Patience • Be Patient • Help Board members be patient • Don’t make decisions (like reducing too many days) for a quick fix. The next round will be upon you soon and then what will you do? • Eventually, it will settle • Hang in there and keep hanging in there