- The School Committee has put APEA into mediation for months, which means discussion through School Committee’s tax-funded lawyer.
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Many of their offers are word-for-word what they proposed in November ’22. In traditional, non mediation negotiations, parties are required to make counter-offers so that they can meet the legal definition of “bargaining in good faith”. Mediation has no such legal requirement. Thus, they are allowed to continue proposing the same things over and over, such as:
– PROPOSING to add two days to the working year for Unit A with no change in pay. (With the added unpaid work days they continue to propose the value of the COLA offer of “2.5%, 2.5%, 2%” would actually be 1.5%, 1.5%, 1%)
– PROPOSING to eliminate “Reduction in Force” protection so that, essentially, our jobs or hours can be cut with no guaranteed calendar deadline.
- We need community members to reach out to School Committee and demand that they face us in negotiations, not mediation, so we can move forward!