W-NEA given exclusive bargaining rights
April 20, 2008
Wentzville
The Wentzville School District Board of Education, at their regular meeting on Apr. 17, voted to give exclusive bargaining rights to the Wentzville National Education Association (W-NEA), but it was not an easy win for the association.
During the meeting’s open session, a representative from the Missouri State Teachers Association (MSTA) spoke on behalf of that organization, stating ‘The local members of MSTA believes the board also will protect the individual rights of teachers to be represented in negotiations regardless of which professional association they wish to join.”
Later in the meeting, Wentzville Schools Superintendent, Dr. Terry Adams, said, “I’m informed by Mr. O’Connell and Ms. Little that negotiations are not going forward as we had hoped. I would very much like to complete negotiations and get contracts in the hands of faculty by May 15. With that in mind, and with no intent to offend MSTA; however I am aware that they won’t be pleased with this, I recommend that we appoint NEA as exclusive bargaining agent for teacher negotiations. Our legal advice was that we cannot change the bargaining arrangement prior to negotiating. The issue has now been negotiated at length and gives the Board of Education ability to modify its position on the issue if that’s what you wish to do.”
Immediately following Adams’ statement, the board addressed the issue. The motion to recognize NEA as the exclusive group to bargain for district employees failed by a vote of 2-2. Ness and Schaper vote for the motion; Hackman and Cox opposed.
After new board members, Terry Ratcliff and Michael Cecil were sworn in and took their seats, the issue was again motioned and passed. Those voting in favor of the motion were: Cecil, Ness, Schaper and Ratcliff. Hackman and Cox opposed.
After the meeting, groups of teachers cheered outside district offices. W-NEA President, Scott Kiehl, expressed his delight to sccworlds.com stating that it was the result they had been hoping for.
At the Feb. 27 school board meeting, Kiehl presented the Wentzville School Board with over 500 authorization cards signed by district teachers asking for a representation election for the purposes of collective bargaining.
In May 2007, the Supreme Court of Missouri reversed the decision to deny public employees the right to collectively bargain (Independence-National Education Association v. Independence School District). The new decision makes collective bargaining a constitutional right for public employees, including teachers. See the Missouri Constitution Article I Section 29
For more information on this issue, see this article.
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