Groups in dispute often define mediated settlements in different terms.  A case in point is the current educational dispute in Fargo, North Dakota.  While the district's school board voted this week to accept a pay plan reached via mediation, the Fargo Education Association wished to see some of the terms changed prior to the vote.  The plan passed as mediated by a margin of eight to one.  With this plan in place, salary schedules in the Fargo School District are established for the coming two years.

Teachers Define Mediation Plan as Incomplete

The Fargo Education Association wanted to see a change made to how salary increases would be handled during year two of the two-year agreement.  Instead of adding slightly under $500 across the board to each step and column of the salary schedule, Kim Belgarde, the president of FEA, preferred to see $300 added to the starting base salary of a teacher who is just beginning her career.  Over the course of that career, the boost would lead to higher salaries year by year.

Despite this rather technical disagreement, the settlement reached with the help of educational contract mediation attorneys was largely satisfactory to both sides.  Belgarde has even predicted no further conflict over the agreement, saying that the FEA membership will likely approve it because there are "many, many aspects of the contract we’re pleased with.”