Goodrich – The Goodrich Education Association is asking school officials to drop their appeal on a court decision that could prove costly to the district.
The request follows a decision from Judge Doyle O’Connor of the Michigan Employment Relations Commission on May 30 stating the district conducted unfair labor practices during their negotiations with the GEA in 2005.
O’Connor’s decision stems from an April 2005 proposal to the GEA by the board of education, promising no layoffs of certified teachers if they agreed to work 12 fewer days. The calendar reduction would have saved the district as much as $50,000 for each day the school was not in session. The district is now ordered to pay back those days since 2005 on a ‘per diem? basis which could cost the district more than $1 million, say school officials.
At the June 23 board meeting, GEA Spokesman Tim Cornwell asked the district if they would consider a fair and equitable solution outside of the court ruling since they are concerned the appeal process would not resolve anything and be expensive for the district.
‘To my knowledge, a ruling like this has never been overturned by an appeal in the past,? Cornwell said to district officials.
Board President Michael Tripp said the district wants to keep all of their options open.
‘I think to be responsible, the board must continue with the appeal process. We have a time frame in which to respond to this ruling and we do not want to push ourselves into a corner with no other options.?
However, Tripp said the district would like to resolve the matter in a fair and equitable way for everyone.
‘We want to make sure that what we are doing is what is in everybody’s best interests,? said Tripp. ‘The district can always drop the appeal process if we are able to resolve it mutually between the district and the GEA.?
Dianne Bregenzer, Michigan Education Association UniServ Director representing about 100 district teachers, said the school district illegally removed 12 days from the school calendar without collective bargaining.
‘We are not expecting the district to deplete their funds for something that happened that long ago,? said Bregenzer. ‘When we originally filed the unfair labor practices, our goal was to make the district bargain under the law. Informally, we were never asked to drop the unfair labor practices because at the time Kim Hart was the superintendent and thought she was right and didn’t want to drop them.?
When the district changed the school calendar from 198 days back to 184 without bargaining to try and save money, Bregenzer said it was illegal.
‘We offered to bargain; however, they refused. They cannot unilaterally change something that drastic without bargaining it. It should have been done through the proper channels. We had no choice but to file the unfair labor practice.?
Bregenzer hopes both sides will come to an agreement. ‘I think they will, hopefully, work it out before the appeal is even heard,? she said.