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HF School Committee Negotiation Agents

                                                File: HF  

LEVERETT SCHOOL COMMITTEE

SCHOOL COMMITTEE NEGOTIATING SUBCOMMITTEE AND NEGOTIATING AGENTS

The School Committee is responsible for negotiations with recognized employee bargaining units. For purposes of negotiations, the School Committee is enlarged by one member who is a representative of the Select Board. When acting as a negotiating body, a quorum of the School Committee will be based upon the total elected School Committee members plus the temporary Select Board representative where one has been appointed.

The School Committee may delegate negotiations to a Negotiating Subcommittee.  The Negotiating Subcommittee may include:

-          members of the School Committee but not a quorum (as defined above), including the temporary representative appointed by the Select Board Chair.

-          a negotiating agent who will not be a voting member of the Negotiations sub-committee

-          members of the Union or District administration recommended by the School Committee who will not be  voting members of the Negotiations Subcommittee

No member of a unit that negotiates with the Committee, with the exception of the Superintendent and their Director of Finance and Operations, shall serve on the Negotiating Subcommittee.  A negotiating agent may be appointed or hired by the School Committee to participate as a member of the Negotiating Subcommittee or to act on behalf of the Negotiating Subcommittee in accordance with the School Committee’s direction.  The term and fee or salary for the services of a negotiating agent shall be established according to state law.

Final decisions with respect to the Bargaining Agreement rest exclusively with the

School Committee as a whole.

The duties of the Negotiations Subcommittee or a negotiating agent will be as follows:

1.          To negotiate in good faith with recognized bargaining units to arrive at a mutually satisfactory agreement on wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment.

a.          The Negotiating Subcommittee or negotiating agent will direct the accumulation of necessary data needed for negotiations, such as comparative information.

b.         The Negotiating Subcommittee or negotiating agent will follow guidelines agreed upon by the whole Committee as to acceptable agreements and will report on the progress of negotiations.

c.          The Negotiating Subcommittee or negotiating agent will make recommendations to the full School Committee as to accep­table agreements.

2.       The School Committee and/or a negotiating agent will interpret the signed negotiated contracts to administrators and may be called upon to offer advice on various aspects of contract administration during the terms of the contracts with employee organizations.  For purposes of interpreting the signed, negotiated contract, participation of the Select Board representative is not required.

SOURCE: MASC

LEGAL REF.:  M.G.L. 71:37E

Second reading, first vote: 01-08-08

Final vote: 02-05-08

Reviewed and Edited by Leverett Policy Committee: 04-03-17

Reviewed and Edited by Leverett Policy Committee: 05/01/17

First Reading by Leverett School Committee: 06/12/17

Second Reading, First Vote and Final Vote: 09/27/17