Don't Get Schooled: An Educator's Guide To Successful Contract Negotiations

Don't Get Schooled: An Educator's Guide To Successful Contract Negotiations

Are you unhappy with your current union contract? Do you deserve a raise? Are you new to public sector collective bargaining? Are you thinking of joining your union's negotiating team but unsure of what to expect? Are you a veteran of past negotiations looking for new tips and strategies? Do you know what to do if your negotiations reach an impasse? How will you know when it’s time to reach an agreement and declare victory? If any of these questions apply to you, then you’ve come to the right place. Education union negotiations typically occur in school districts throughout the country every few years in a repetitive cycle of bargaining, disagreement, and settlement. You would think there would be considerable collective wisdom about the process given their frequency and pervasiveness. You would be wrong. Negotiating teams are isolated by geographic distance, time constraints, and infrequent communication. They operate independently of one another and rarely share information. Although contracts are readily available in the public domain, the process that yields those agreements is confidential. Outside assistance is usually limited to a single lawyer or union representative. Unions are at a distinct disadvantage in the negotiation process for a number of reasons: Members don’t know what to expect and receive little to no negotiation training. - The employer-employee power disparity is somewhat imposing to educators. - The adversarial nature of negotiations is unfamiliar territory for educators. - The ongoing turnover of negotiating teams interferes with leadership continuity. - There are few available resources in print or online that explain the public sector collective bargaining process and share strategies for success. Many educators are out of their element when assuming responsibility for collective bargaining. They master all aspects of their career except the one that determines their own financial security. They do their jobs. They focus on teaching and learning. They are often uninformed about their contract, leaving it to others to improve their educational, financial, and professional fate. This is the wrong approach. Educators have to be informed and involved because they are still their own best advocates. “Don’t Get Schooled: An Educator's Guide to Successful Contract Negotiations” is a negotiations primer for educators who are embarking on the educational, financial, and professional journey of contract improvement. It is written from the perspective of a fellow educator who has already gone through the negotiations process multiple times. The book synthesizes my years of experience as a lead negotiator for one of the highest paid administrative units in one of the top-rated school districts in the country. I provide a straightforward walkthrough of the negotiating process from beginning to end, from forming a negotiating team through ratifying a contract, and all the steps in between. Along the way, I provide background context, clear explanations, negotiation tips and strategies, and actionable advice to help you achieve your contract improvement goals. Don’t get schooled because you weren’t prepared for the daunting task of public sector collective bargaining. Use this book as a companion on the journey to achieving contract improvement success.