The three-year contract for teachers and other faculty in the Mount Laurel school district expired earlier this year. The new contracts have been in discussion for about a year and are now entering the mediation phase. To date, the employees of Mount Laurel school district have continued to work without new contracts.

The members of the Mount Laurel Education Association (MLEA), representing employees of the school district, and the negotiation committee of the Board of Education have reached an impasse in their negotiations. The arbitration is scheduled to occur on January 9th.

Successful Negotiation with MLAA Reveals Clues of MLEA Dispute

The Board of Education's contract negotiation with Mount Laurel's Administrators Association (MLAA) was successfully concluded without proceeding on to mediation. The new 3 year contracts were ratified on October 18. The resulting contracts represent a reduction in professional development funds for the administrators and a clue about the nature of the dispute with the MLEA.

Both sides in this negotiation acknowledged that they had to work out the contracts in light of a 2% cap in district spending and a reduction in public school funding. These conditions would also apply to the dispute with the MLEA and would be the context under which they would have to work out their agreement.

In the MLEA case, there was no comment by either side about the sticking points that lead to mediation. The talks have been amicable up until this point; they simply have not come to an agreement. Taking this route instead of strikes and legal proceedings can ensure a faster resolution time in this dispute.