Ground rules

Chad and Wade email me at fef@205warren.net so that I can send you our ground rules.

Thanks!!:)

Sarah e-mail

sleonard@molineschools.org

To Sarah Leonard

Hi Sarah, I emailed you the Ground Rules but it came back twice. I looked at Moline schools and added org after the address you gave me. I hope you got it. thanks Joan

Day 2

For some reason I am having a heck of a time with this. I lost my draft for a moment!! Class on Sunday was interesting. Jay was the attorney on Canton's board. The contract was settled pretty quickly. I learned the difference between an arbitrator and mediator. I also believe that building good relationship is essential for being a superintendent or principal. That is really what it is all about - getting people to do their best. The 3 factors to consider was another important issue brought up. To be honest Dr. Closen, I am a little worried about the final test!!! I would rather do a project or paper any day than take a test!! I enjoyed working with my "union" team. It is interesting the game that is played between the two sides!! I also liked your quote,It is better to listen and have someone think you’re a fool then to open your mouth and let them know you’re a fool." I think those are words to live by, but I think they were said on Saturday!!

Day 1 of class

Collective Bargaining is something in which I have never participated. I did a powerpoint on the key points of being on the team for the board. I am still a little confused about some of the aspects, but will continue to listen and learn. Some of the terminology is still a little unclear about what you have a "duty" to bargain and what can be bargained. Our board gave away teachers doing bus duty a few years ago. Apparently when that was done, it was to stop the junior high principal from making teachers stay after students left and watch kids who had not boarded buses yet. Instead of addressing that, the teaches have a no bus duty clause in the contract. I have asked for this to be modified or even have what constitutes bus duty clarified but to no avail. They say "walking" their students out to the buses is bus duty!! It makes it hard to get help with this dangerous time of the day. I have never understood really what the difference is between Interest Based Bargaining and Traditional Bargaining, so doing the paper will certainly give me some insight! I wonder if anyone else caught the unfair labor practices violation was an acronym - TIPS You cannot threaten, intimidate, promise or surveillance? It was an interesting class and I learned a great deal.

Reflection Day #2

GO UNION TEAM #1. I enjoyed the group work of setting the ground rules. Already the bargaining begins with the word choices involved in the setting of the ground rules.

I am thinking about all the steps that it took for our support personnel to walk out mid year and all the steps that it took to actually strike. I wish that I could have been part of the process eight years ago when it happened and how difficult it was on both sides. The time that it takes to negotiate, mediate then go to an arbitrator, is it worth it in the end?

Jake gave great examples of doing your homework before starting negotiations and the impact that a story can have. Also, listening to the other sides story can give you insight as to what the other side of the table is proposing.

Day I-Reflection

I have no experience with collective bargaining. It is very clear that relationships are very important as discussed in class as well as in the the first section of Colosi. It is very clear that Dr. Closen has a great deal of experience in this area and shares his expertise.

I have thought about including a principal on the negotiating team or not. Should the site based manager be involved in negotiations? It all goes back to relationship with staff, and building trust. That is built from day one on the job as an administrator. In our large district it is not done. I like the idea of Principal's being consulted to see how it effects their buildings.

I am still unclear on the matter of un-employment for substitutes and this is an area that I am going to further investigate.

Day 2

Excellent discussion and explanation of mediation and arbitration.  I have a much better understanding of the difference between the two in the realm of collective bargaining.  The attorney presentation was very interesting and informative.  He provided a great deal of information and tools that will be helpful when preparing for negotiations.  The first weekend, overall, provided a very good foundation for the process and the superintendents role.  I thought the notions of holding true to your word and actually implementing what you are bargain were extremely important.  In my experience, this has not always happened and as such has caused some very hard feelings.  

Day 1

It was very refreshing to hear the emphasis and importance of trust building with staff, community and the board.  We talked about the notion of rubber stamping and how that can be both good and bad.  It is good in that the board trusts the supt and administration, however, it can cause doubt and lack of trust with the community and staff if the decisions being made are not transparent.  I also greatly appreciated your stance on being ethical.  It was very refreshing.  I am looking forward to the simulation, I think it will be a great exercise.  

Day #1

I really enjoyed sitting down and discussing the Ground Rules. Due to my lack of experience in this area I had not thought of the fact that these are so critical to the negotiation process. Working with the other team members gave me another perspective of their experiences and stories. Like in any school district setting the expectations is critical to success.

Day #1

I have no prior experience at the table with collective bargaining and negotiations so this has been a very interesting day. With personnel salaries running close to 80%, negotiations are critical to the district finances. The stories that are being related are very applicable to this class and help us think through various issues that may arise. I am looking forward to the simulation activity and the knowledge learned as a result of the activity.

Day #2

One of the key aspects that was continually stressed throughout the weekend was developing positive relationships with the staff. If a relationship exists where honesty and truthfulness exists, then the negotiation process will go much smoother. Being candid about the district finances is critical so the other side can understand why a 6% raise is out of the question. Handouts must also be utilized to give a complete picture.

Reflection on Day 2

I thought today's class was another productive one. The format of Dr. Closen's is obviously geared toward giving us practical information and practice as opposed to the busy work we get in some classes, and I appreciate that. Having Jay in class was invaluable. His opening was very interesting: "Bargaining is an opportunity to improve labor relations." That is pretty profound and we should all remember that. Perhaps, though, it is easier said than done. He gave us a lot of "nuts and bolts" that were great, but more importantly, just as Colosi in the text and Dr. Closen also say, Jay emphasized developing trust and relationships. That should be a natural fit for all of us since that is the same beginning toward being an effective teacher in the classroom. Along that line, his statement that we only get one chance to create a reputation, is so true. I also liked his reasoning that you shouldn't just give the union your positions, but also rationalize them. Finally, in regards to the importance of developing relationships and trust, that should be carried over to the table and we should never lose our cool with the union. As he said, "Don't talk 'at' each other, talk 'with' each other."

Some financial elements that were discussed stuck out as extra important. Jay mentioned that in regards to health insurance, it is imperative that the employees have a stake in the cost and you need to keep a mechanism in your arsenal to control costs. With that and all financial matters, what Dr. Closen said ("Always underestimate revenues and overestimate expenditures.") is a good common sense rule to live by.

Day 2 - Reflection

One of the reflections that really caught my attention today was Jay reminding us about the little give and takes in negotiations. The example he brought up was teachers getting payed for bus duty while on contract time.

It is true teachers should not double dip and the board was correct that they shouldn't be payed but in the big financial picture is was equivalent of about .1% of the overall budget. His reminder was to understand the big picture.

One of his other reminders included while going through the negotiation cycle understand its effect on future negotiations.

August 23, Session #2

Jay Greening's presentation was helpful when looking at the big picture of negotiations. I picked up on three elements. 1.) Building relationships with the people at the table prior to negotiations is essential. 2.) The bargaining process should be an opportunity to improve employee relations. 3.) Successful negotiations are based on what happens prior to the process even beginning.
He provided many tips to follow to enhance the negotiations process. As I left for the day, I guess what was circling in my head was how beneficial it would be to work with him as you head into your first few negotiation processes and beyond. His handouts seemed as though they would really assist in the process. You really have to have a sound understanding of what the District can afford yet at the same time aim for having both parties feeling like they have left the table with more than they expected. That takes skill!

EDL 623 8/23/09

A couple of themes that came out today were a strong relationship and being well prepared.

A relationship that has been built from honesty and being an advocate for the staff develops a trust that can only help. When the staff has other experiences of you working for the good of all it can lesson the anxiety in negotiations.

When going into a negotiation session being well prepared with the financial aspect is a must. With the packet given and the spreadsheet examples it becomes more of an object situation. The short detailed information sheets should help reduce distractions from the facts.

The information given today will be helpful in the future.

Day #2

The quote of the day that I will try to remember is "Don't let the small things get into the way of a no vote." By seeing the big picture the superintendent needs to communicate to the board issues that may be of little importance, such as, bus duty only costs the district .o15% of the total budget. Redirecting them is critical to our job - we must always do what is best for kids.

Day 2 Class Reflection

Jay Greening’s practitioner approach and handout were excellent. The keys that I came away with included building and maintaining relationships as well as being prepared. As in anything, relationships are crucial to success. In a likewise manner, being prepared can help speed up the process and give you objective information to share during the negotiation process. Being as objective as possible is important to keep personalities out of the mix.
Seeing the tools of the District Financial Analysis, Projections, and comparisons helps cement my learning that occurred in Finance. It has tied the two together even more so than yesterday’s conversations.

Day #2

Jay did an outstanding job of stressing the importance of "doing homework" prior to the negotiations. By explaining the critical details, both sides will have an understanding of where each is coming from. By truly listening to the other side, one will know what the other really wants. By being honest and forthcoming a successful negotiation can occur.

Day 2, EDL 623

Getting together with our group to set the ground rules was an excellent use of time. This simulation will be a great activity for those of us that have only been casual observers of the process. The handout we received from Jay Greening will come in handy for that first time we engage in negotiations as a superintendent.

Coming to the table prepared with all the financial information seems pretty basic - however, some folks must not do it or he wouldn't have stressed it so much!!! Getting the language items done first, which is what Freeport did during their recent negotiations, really did create an air of trust and collaboration.

I believe the advice to make sure relationships are better than when you started the process is the best notion he shared. The key to running a school district, a building, or a business is all about the relationships.

8/23

The special speaker shared a lot of useful information and experience. I agree that building relationships with the union/employees is a year round process and that trust is a major factor. The “trust” factor made a difference in the outcome of our negotiations this past spring. The negotiation plan that Jay shared will help me organize prior to beginning the negotiation process next time. This gave me several tools to gather objective facts to use to plan negotiations. These tools take the guesswork out of the process and will allow me to negotiate intelligently using facts.

Day 2 Thoughts

Meeting with our negotiating team today was enjoyable and worthwhile. It gave insight into the process and gave an opportunity to mentally prepare for the next step and representing a side or philosophy with which I normally would not generally share. I look forward to the simulation to gain some experience in the collective bargaining process even in a "pretend" format.

The speaker was very informative. I like the handouts and am anxious to share these with the superintendent in my district. I believe the agreement that was just settled in Galesburg is only a one year deal so we should be starting the preparation process soon and begin the whole thing over again in the coming months. I am hopeful that I will be able to be involved in the contract talks this time around.

2nd day 623

623
8-23-09
The activity of setting ground rules was one of the better activities that I have been involved with in the EDL program and am looking forward to the rest of the simulation of negotiation.

Jay Greening presentation was very interesting and helpful. The handout will be taken back and shared with the superintendent and hopefully used as our guideline to negotiate this year. The information that was shared on; (giving in on items that are not a big issue especially language items) made sense to me. I would like more information on the interest based bargaining process.

Refection day one

Reflection Day One
It’s been a little over ten years since I negotiated a contract. So it was nice to refresh some of the terms, strategy and tricks that go along with negotiations. We are in the last year of our contract so we will begin negotiations in the spring. The last negotiation we had a three day strike before it was settled and since it was settled we have had four grievances filed against the administration. I have been asked to sit in on negotiation team so I need to refresh the do’s and don’ts on the procedures to prepare for the union thug.

EDL 623 8/22/09

EDL 623 Reflection 8/22/09

A helpful piece of information for me is the mediator and arbitrator’s main goal is to have a contract and not what who gets what. I thought they at least kept in mind the final $ for the district so as not to go in the red.

The tax information will be good for helping develop the budget.

It was interesting that other areas of the start as well have the swing to a more “I” approach from the union instead of what is best for the students as a main focus. This has increased in our parents and students as well.

What a Day!

We talked about so much in one day, it was really an eye opener and a great learning experience for someone like me who has never been involved in negotiations. A couple of things that really stuck out for me were things that Dr. Closen mentioned in the morning session. The first was that collective bargaining is an area that could cause all of us as potential superintendents to lose our jobs. The second was a wise, common sense statement that we should always ask our principals how bargaining proposals will effect their buildings. Something that you would hope we would all have enough sense to do, but if not mentioned in class by the instructor, something that some of us (I'll put myself in the lead as the most likely) may not have done in the future. That was an aha moment for me.

Another thing Dr. Closen mentioned was using Excel spreadsheets to do projections. I am a novice at Excel, knowing just enough to be dangerous. Thus, becoming efficient in this area will be a future goal for me.

I thought it was a very productive day, but not quite as exciting as my evening. Sorry, Dr. Closen! I just got home from a night of watching MMA fighting as a former student of mine won the final fight of his short career. He just started training a couple of years ago and has only had five fights. However, he is 36 and has a wife and four kids, so he decided to quit while he is still healthy. Why is this on my blog? Because I figured even in the crudest of sports there still has to be some negotiations for the fights before they take place. Once in the ring, no negotiating!

Day 1 Class Reflection

The reminder of the Corporate Personal Property Replacement Tax and its impact was an aha moment. It really tied in the importance of finance and the negotiation process. The impact of the budget, future projections including students in seats, contract language, etc. are areas that need to be remembered throughout the negotiations process.

As I enter into the first negotiations as a superintendent, I will remember that the future of negotiations is impacted greatly each time you go through the process with how the process is handled and the relationships that you develop. You always reap what you sow!

Day 1 - Reflection Blog

One of the interesting thoughts from today included the conversation regarding the role of a mediator. I always thought their role was to decide which bargaining team was bringing the fairest contract to the table and not just to get the contract settled regardless of who benefited.

It was good to hear some of the tricks that both a mediator and union rep. may try at negotiation time.

We also reviewed the ground rules for bargaining. One of the items on the list were concepts I never would have thought of at this point in my career (caucus condition).

Saturday, Aug. 22 Class #1

I found that our topics today were relevant for Iowa or Illinois. The skill of building trust and relationships with your board and union are important in no matter what state you are a superindentent in. Knowing our contract as building principals is very important, it seems as though we often know it better than the teachers. Coming to the table with good faith efforts is important. It seems you hear about situations when hidden agendas drive the contract. To me that is pretty frustrating. My superintendent once said that negotiations is a time when the union forgets about the best interest of kids. It is all about the raise. For superintendents I imagine it comes down to managing the $$ that you have to work with. Negotiations really can impact the budget for years to come. Another interesting point from this afternoon that sticks with me is the concept of remembering what you get on the final year of a three year contract. I believe and have experienced this to be very true. It may be a good strategy to try...keep that in mind Union #1!
As a teacher, I was part of the negotiating team for a few years. That was 10 years ago. Since then, I have not been a part of it on either side. This class should provide a good experience to look at things from both sides and discover some of the strategies that superintendents can use during the negotiating process.

8/22

We negotiated a new three year contract this past spring. I experienced much of what was discussed today. We did not have a meeting where ground rules were set between the union and the administration/board. The process of negotiations is spelled out in the contract, but things like the manner in which proposals are presented, method for recording, and the role of each participant were not discussed. These ground rules will definitely be spelled out next time.

Saturday class #1

Collective bargaining and negotiations are one of the most important skills/requirements for a superintendent, in my opinion, with budgets running at 70% personnel costs. I believe negotiation is a skill that can be learned, and not one I am well versed in. I found the anecdotal snippets to be very interesting and informative.

I have to admit I got a bit bogged down in the afternoon with the lecture format and found it a bit difficult to concentrate. It is also hard to discuss what I would do during negotiations when I have hardly had an experience with the format. I think I would have really been lost in most of the discussions today if I had not had that limited experience this past spring with the process.

I think the simulation activity will be very valuable and I look forward to learning more negotiation skills.

I guess we should have asked the ending time this morning so it was such a surprise!! :)

Day 1 Thoughts

The discussion of the laws establishing the NLRA was interesting. It brought some clarity to their creation. I found the discussion of the different "shop" options interesting. The obvious differences between the two states is fascinating. It would make sense that there is a stronger "union feel" in Illinois due to the industrial history of the state. The enormous bank of family farms, agriculture and the rural culture in Iowa would explain the maintenance of Right to Work laws that still exist.

Finally here

It took a while but I am finally on.