Mediation is now underway for the Sudbury School Committee and the teachers union. The two are attempting to reach a deal on their contract following eight plus months of bargaining on their own.

The committee approved a joint petition for mediation with the Sudbury Education Association in September in hopes of ending negotiations after the current contract expired in June. According to the association president, the two sides have been unable to agree on two specific issues, which are working time and wages.

According to a recent agenda from a September 30^th meeting, the board voted to file a joint petition with the state Department of Labor Relations for mediation. The agenda further noted the negotiations included increasing the length of the school day in area middle schools, and increasing the school day for middle and elementary school teachers. There was also discussion of increased compensation for teachers.

According to the committee, there are two main goals: doing what is best for students and treating teachers fairly. The hope of both sides is that mediation will help everyone resolve the issue in a quick and efficient manner. The existing deal expired in June, so teachers began the school year without a contract.

Those who are familiar with these negotiations and those that have taken place in recent history point out there are no known instances in which workday times were up for debate. The groups have negotiated salaries before, but extending the school day for students and the workday for teachers is new territory.