Teachers and the 833 School District in South Washington County are attempting a new negotiating process with new people involved to determine if a contract agreement can be reached. There have been 11 bargaining sessions thus far, allowing the two sides to come to agreement on some contract terms, but never fully fix the issues at hand. The talks recently slowed to a halt, which is what prompted the fresh approach. Mediation was not required for the contract talks, but it has been helpful for many unions and school districts in the area.

The teachers union is requesting higher pay based on what teachers at other schools are earning. The union wants a sizeable salary increase and wishes to retain its ability to transfer teachers to open positions based on nothing other than seniority. This has been the process since the 1970s.

Those from the school district argue they want what is in the best interest of the students and taxpayers. They want to attract and retain quality teachers, but with an eye toward the kids and community. They have offered annual salary increases, but want to make a change to the transfer policy.

Changes in the bargaining process have made a difference so far in the inability to reach a consensus. The union requested use of traditional negotiating instead of an interest based system that included consensus-building throughout the process, as well as agreement over what information is made public.

The two sides hope to reach an agreement with the fresh perspective on negotiating, but nobody is sure it will work. According to the president of the teachers’ union, “We love our schools, but we also know we’re deserving of being given and being offered a fair and competitive contract.”