PROCEDURES FOR CONDUCTING NEGOTIATIONS Either party may request negotiations for a successor Agreement by issuing a notice to negotiate to the other party between one hundred twenty (120) and ninety (90) days prior to the expiration of this Agreement. The State Employment Relations Board will also be notified of the intent to open negotiations at this time. Within fifteen (15) days of receipt of said notice, representatives of the parties shall meet and submit proposals for the successor Agreement. Said proposals shall be comprehensive in nature and no additional issues shall be introduced after the first session without mutual agreement. Subsequent bargaining sessions shall be set at times and dates as are mutually agreed to by the teams. Negotiation teams will be limited to five (5) members each. Both sides may agree to change this size by mutual agreement. Negotiation sessions shall be conducted in executive session; however, this does not prohibit the flow of information to either party’s constituency. The style of bargaining shall be mutually decided by the parties prior to negotiations. Upon request of either bargaining team, a bargaining session may be recessed to permit a caucus. When negotiations are conducted during regular school hours, release time shall be provided for the Association’s bargaining team. (Reference: Article 18) There shall be three (3) signed copies of the final agreement. One (1) copy shall be retained by the Board, one (1) by the Association, and one (1) shall be submitted to the State Employment Relations Board. As tentative agreement is reached on each issue, it shall be so noted and initialed by each party. When consensus is reached covering the areas under discussion, the proposed Agreement shall be reduced to writing as a tentative agreement and submitted to the Association and the Board for approval. Following approval by the Association and Board, a contract shall be entered into by both parties. The Association and the Board agree to abide by the terms of the Agreement. The final Agreement, as adopted by the Board and ratified by the Association, will be printed and presented within thirty (30) days. The cost of such printing, including labor and material shall be borne by the Board In the event an agreement is not reached after forty-five (45) days from the first bargaining session, either of the parties shall have the option of requesting the assistance of a federal mediator under the guidelines of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. In the event that the services of a mediator are called upon, the mediation process will last twenty-one
Exceptions to Informal Negotiations and Arbitration The Parties agree that the following Disputes are not subject to the above provisions concerning informal negotiations and binding arbitration: (a) any Disputes seeking to enforce or protect, or concerning the validity of, any of the intellectual property rights of a Party; (b) any Dispute related to, or arising from, allegations of theft, piracy, invasion of privacy, or unauthorized use; and (c) any claim for injunctive relief. If this provision is found to be illegal or unenforceable, then neither Party will elect to arbitrate any Dispute falling within that portion of this provision found to be illegal or unenforceable and such Dispute shall be decided by a court of competent jurisdiction within the courts listed for jurisdiction above, and the Parties agree to submit to the personal jurisdiction of that court. CORRECTIONS There may be information on the Site that contains typographical errors, inaccuracies, or omissions, including descriptions, pricing, availability, and various other information. We reserve the right to correct any errors, inaccuracies, or omissions and to change or update the information on the Site at any time, without prior notice.
Leave for Negotiations Members of the MSEA-SEIU bargaining team (whose numbers shall not exceed three (3) for each unit plus the President and/or Vice President of MSEA-SEIU) shall suffer no loss in pay or benefits for participation in negotiations for a successor Agreement. Additionally, leave may be requested for other members necessary for par- ticipation on specific negotiations issues and such leave shall not be unreasonably denied. MSEA-SEIU shall give reasonable notice to the Office of Employee Relations of the names of those bargaining team members who will be attending particular bargaining sessions. MSEA-SEIU recognizes that exceptional circumstances might preclude the release of an individual on a particular day. The Office of Employee Relations will notify affected agencies of those individuals designated or otherwise requested to be made available on particular dates for participation in negotiations and will inform those agencies of the day, or days, when negotiations will take place. No additional compensation shall be paid if negotiations extend beyond the end of an employee's normal work hours. However, a good faith effort shall be made to schedule non-standard workweek employees so that their days off shall not fall on days of negotiations. Any designated employee who has a State vehicle assigned shall be allowed to use the vehicle while traveling to and from negotiations. Such employee shall be considered to be in duty status and shall have his/her uniform available for necessary use.
Exclusive Negotiations The State will not bargain collectively or meet with any employee organization other than MSEA-SEIU with reference to terms and conditions of employment of employees covered by this Agreement. If any such organizations request meetings they will be advised by the State to transmit their requests concerning terms and conditions of employment to MSEA-SEIU.
Annual Negotiations Negotiations will be conducted each year according to the ground rules as mutually agreed upon prior to negotiations. Ground Rules (see APPENDIX F - GROUND RULES) used at the previous year's sessions will serve as the basis for discussing any changes before adopting ground rules for the current negotiating sessions. Such ground rules mutually agreed upon shall assist in the orderly process for negotiations.
Dispute Resolution and Arbitration The following procedures shall be used in the resolution of disputes:
WAIVER OF NEGOTIATIONS The Board and Union acknowledge that during negotiations resulting in this Agreement, each party had the right and opportunity to make demands and proposals with respect to any matter and that this Agreement was arrived at by the parties after the exercise of that right and opportunity. The Board and the Union shall voluntarily waive, during the life of this Agreement said rights and each agrees that the other shall not be obligated to negotiate with respect to any subject or matter irrespective of whether such matters or subject is specifically referred to or covered in this agreement, even though such subject or matter may not have been within the knowledge or contemplation of either or both parties at the time negotiations were being conducted or at the time the party signed this Agreement.
NEGOTIATIONS PROCEDURE Table of Contents
Rules of Procedure By referring any specific grievance to be dealt with in the expedited arbitration procedure it is understood and agreed that the matter is to be dealt with in accordance with the Rules of Procedure attached to this Agreement as Appendix 1.
Model Rules of Procedure 1. The procedure before the Panel shall be conducted in accordance with the Model Rules of Procedure set out in Annex 12 (Model Rules of Procedure). Exceptionally, the disputing Parties may agree on different rules to be applied by the Panel. 2. The Model Rules of Procedure are necessary for the good development of all the steps in this Chapter. In addition, these rules shall regulate the development of the procedure, pursuant to the following principles: (a) the procedures shall ensure the right to at least one hearing before the Panel, as well as the opportunity for each disputing Party to provide initial and rebuttal written submissions, and allow the use of any technological means to ensure its authenticity; and (b) the hearings before the Panel, the deliberations, as well as all the submissions and communications submitted during the hearings, shall be confidential. 3. If needed, the Panel shall, apart from the matters set out in this Article and in Annex 12 (Model Rules of Procedure), regulate its own procedures in relation to the settlement of the dispute in consultation with the Parties. 4. Unless otherwise agreed by the disputing Parties within 20 days following the establishment of the Panel, the terms of reference shall be: "To examine, in light of the relevant provisions of this Agreement, the matter referred to in the request for the establishment of a Panel pursuant to Article 177 (Request for a Panel) and to make findings of law and fact together with the reasons therefore for the resolution of the dispute, as well as a recommendation for its implementation, if needed."
