Union Leadership Rejects Offer for Group Q and A Session

Bongo thought he was going to be the first one to blow the top off the latest HEA blunder, but it appears the Northwest Herald beat him to it this morning. You can read the story here.

The first few bloggers at the bottom of the story are missing the point and should re-read the story. The DISTRICT arranged a meeting to hear and respond to questions from the entire teachers union and the HEA LEADERSHIP canceled that meeting. How that can be construed as the district not wanting to negotiate and meet is beyond Bongo.

The rules for negotiations are very clear with regard to how negotiations can occur. Those rules state that the board is in negotiations with the union and cannot negotiate with any individual member of the union. If they do, they can be charged with an unfair labor practice. Answering negotiation questions from individual members during a school board meeting format could easily be construed as bargaining with individuals. A structured Q and A session where questions are submitted for answers to be given to the entire group sidesteps that issue completely.

This surprising move by the HEA leadership suggests to Bongo that the big dogs at the union aren't as interested in getting their union members’ questions answered as the public was led to believe on Thursday, when a herd of teachers attended the public comment section of the board meeting.

If you humans will recall, a very large group of HEA members attended last Thursday’s Committee of the Whole meeting and demanded answers to their negotiation questions. When President Green said the board would not be answering any individual questions having to do with negotiations during the public meeting, the board was accused of not wanting to work with the teachers.

But wait a second. Wasn't it the board who initially wanted negotiations to be done in public, but the HEA leaders nixed the idea and said they must be done in private? Why the 180 degree change of heart?

Why would the union negotiating team say "no way" to a board of education invitation to have a two hour Q and A session with the union members at large in a private meeting? Those of you who were at Thursday’s meeting may recall that one teacher who spoke was told by Board President Green that the board would be willing to set a date and time for a large meeting where questions from union members could be addressed. The speaker seemed very interested in the meeting and tried to set the date and time on the spot.

The school board followed up on that pledge and arranged a meeting for tonight, and said all members of the union could come and have their questions answered. There is one reason and one reason only why those teachers will not have an opportunity to have their questions from Thursday (plus other questions) answered.

Hmmm. Why would the union leadership cancel on an opportunity for their members to get information straight from the board of education before it would have an opportunity to be spin-doctored by the HEA leadership? Could it be that the HEA union leadership does not really want the union members to hear the school board’s side of the story straight from the source?

It’s a fair assumption that the negotiation team, which has attended board meetings in the past, is aware of the D 158 policy regarding the public comment portion of the agenda. Surely they know the public comment section is not intended for questions and answers but rather for people to make comments on issues relating to District 158. Very rarely are answers to public comment questions given on the spot. Why would the HEA leadership team set their members up to ask questions they knew the board would not answer during the meeting? Were they trying to stage an event meant to make teachers not familiar with District 158’s public comment policy believe that the board was not interested in answering their questions? Did the union leadership even tell their members about the Tuesday night meeting? Did a vote of the membership at large determine that the meeting would be canceled?

If the HEA union leadership has been being straight with their members, why would they not allow their members to attend a Q and A session where their questions could be answered?

Bongo smells something fishy!