Labor Relations negotiates and ensures the equitable administration of the six Collective Bargaining Agreements.  We are also part of the management team and union-management task forces that study issues such as professionalism of education reform, performance pay, health benefits, bilingual education, and school safety.  Additionally, we develop the school calendar for students and the employee work calendars.

We also assist staff in contract administration that includes formulating policies that comply with contract agreements and suggesting solutions to recurring contract issues. On a day-to-day basis, we handle administrators' concerns related to Collective Bargaining Agreement interpretations, investigate charges of contract violations, resolve conflicts between bargaining units and administrators, and facilitate the appeal and formal grievance processes.

In any organization that employs thousands of employees working under federal regulations, state laws, union contracts, and school board rules, there are bound to be disagreements. Many are resolved at the School Board and Region levels. Some end in hearings before the Public Employees Relations Commission (PERC), some before a Special Magistrate, some before an arbiter, and some in court. We assist the Board's legal counsel with the preparation for labor law related litigation such as PERC hearings, impasse resolution, arbitration, unfair labor practice charges, and District Court appeals.