The Bargaining Process

The collective bargaining law defines the steps for bargaining: negotiations, mediation, and strike or implementation of final offer.

Changes made in the collective bargaining law by the 1995 Legislature were designed to create a more equitable balance between management and labor, reversing a 22-year trend of prevailing labor rights.

The length of typical school district contracts is two or three years. Contracts generally begin July 1 and end June 30. This makes the contract year the same as a district’s fiscal year.

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Status Quo Continues After Contract Ends

If a contract ends before a new contract agreement is reached, all provisions of the expired contract which relate directly to the employees’ conditions of employment, e.g., salary, benefits, leaves, etc., are continued unless expiration of a provision is specifically provided for in the terms of the old contract. Provisions of the expired contract which relate directly to the union, e.g., union dues payments, may be discontinued with notice to the union.

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