We are at impasse.

After many months, the Administration finally made a monetary proposal last Tuesday.  Each of the four bargaining units submitted a counterproposal.  Today, representatives of the 4 bargaining units were informed that the Administration was not prepared to make another monetary offer, and furthermore, could not say when they would be able to do so.  So, we will be filing for impasse to obtain a mediator.  Stay tuned for further updates as the fall semester approaches.

On Tuesday May 11 and Wednesday May 12, the negotiation teams from all four bargaining units met with representatives of the administration to respond to each other’s proposals.  The meetings scheduled for the week of May 17^th were cancelled.  We will not be meeting again until mid July.  Association members are encouraged to monitor the blog over the summer or setup email notifications to be sure you receive important updates as the fall academic term approaches.

On Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, the negotiation teams from all four bargaining units met with representatives of the administration. The administration exchanged proposals with each unit. This involves going through the proposals article by article and asking/answering clarifying questions. Each unit is scheduled to meet with the administration next week and the week after.

As most of you probably heard, the meeting scheduled for February 19th was postponed.  We had our first meeting on Wednesday, March 31st.    Present at the meeting were representatives of all four units and our negotiator, Chris Berzinski.  The administration was represented by Brittany Goldstein and there negotiator, attorney Alan Schmoll.

 The first meeting in negotiations is organizational in nature.  You set the meeting schedule and discuss ground rules, e.g., when proposals are exchanged, the last point at which items can be added, etc.  I am disappointed to report that we won’t meet again until May 4th.   However, all four units will be meeting multiple times with Administration over the three weeks that follow.

On another note, I assume you have all heard about the new legislation that requires us to pay 1.5% of our salaries toward our health benefits.  Needless to say, negotiations are entertaining enough without added external pressure.  It is rare that I listen to the talking heads in the media discussing the job we do and hear something that resonates with me.  During the discussions about the legislation, it was brought up that teachers took less-than-desirable raises in the past to keep their health benefits.  That is absolutely true and something I’d been told since I became involved in the union.  Now, they are trying to cut into those benefits too.

Anyway, suffice it to say that we will need your support in the upcoming months.

John Stratton, Umbrella Group President

Greetings from the Executive Committee of the ACCCEA. For those of you who don’t know me, I’m John Stratton, President of the “Umbrella Group,” the executive committee in which the four bargaining units work together. This is where I will post updates on the progress of the unified negotiation team as we move through the process. My first official announcement is that the first meeting between the Administration and the ACCCEA team will occur on Friday, February 19th. At the first meeting, we usually set ground rules, a meeting schedule, etc.

At the outset, one can never predict the path that negotiations will take. We always hope for a straight-forward process that is conducted with mutual respect. One thing is certain: the negotiation process depends on YOU. In the past, we have enjoyed your unwavering support. We are known around the state for how unified we are, and the team does not take this for granted. It is your unity and support that sets the tone for the entire process. I look forward to the next few months as we all move through this process together.