Showing posts with label negotiation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label negotiation. Show all posts

Friday, April 14, 2023

Franklin School Committee: ESP/LPN Negotiations - April 24, 2023

Franklin Public Schools
Franklin School Committee
Contractual Negotiations
April 24, 2023 - 3:30 - 5:30PM

ESP/LPN 

Municipal Building 3rd Floor Training Room

The meeting opens and enters executive session for negotiations

Franklin School Committee: ESP/LPN Negotiations - April 24, 2023
Franklin School Committee: ESP/LPN Negotiations - April 24, 2023

Thursday, April 6, 2023

School Committee schedules Contractual Negotiations with ESP/LPN - April 13

Franklin Public Schools
Franklin School Committee
Contractual Negotiations ESP/LPN 
April 13, 2023 - 3:30 - 5:30PM



FSchool Committee contract negotiation sessions scheduled for Executive session
School Committee contract negotiation sessions scheduled for Executive session

Tuesday, January 24, 2023

School Committee contract negotiation sessions scheduled for Executive session

 
Franklin Public Schools - Franklin School Committee
Contractual Negotiations
January 26, 2023 - 10:30 - 12PM
  • Van Drivers 

Franklin Public Schools - Franklin School Committee
Contractual Negotiations
January 27, 2023  - 3:15-4:45PM 
  • ESP/LPN 

Franklin Public Schools - Franklin School Committee
Contractual Negotiations
February 7, 2023 - 2-3:30PM
  • Cafeteria 


Franklin Public Schools - Franklin School Committee
Contractual Negotiations
February 7, 2023 - 3:30-5PM
  • Secretaries 

FSchool Committee contract negotiation sessions scheduled for Executive session
School Committee contract negotiation sessions scheduled for Executive session

Tuesday, January 3, 2023

Franklin School Committee - Contractual Negotiations - Multiple Executive Sessions scheduled for Jan 9

Franklin Public Schools - Franklin School Committee
Contractual Negotiations
January 9, 2023

  • Van Drivers - 11:30 - 1 PM
  • Cafeteria - 3-4 PM
  • ESP/LPN - 4-5 PM
  • Secretaries - 5-6 PM
Municipal Building 3rd Floor Training Room

A G E N D A
"The listing of matters are those reasonably anticipated by the Chair which may be discussed at the meeting. Not all items listed may in fact be discussed and other items not listed may also be brought up for discussion to the extent permitted by law."
1. Call to Order

2. Executive Session
a. Pursuant to M.G.L. c. 30A, §21(a)(3) to discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining with the Van Drivers, Cafeteria, ESP/LPN and Secretaries units as an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the bargaining position of the School Committee and the chair so declares.
b. Pursuant to M.G.L. c. 30A, §21(a)(2) to conduct collective bargaining sessions with the Van Drivers, Cafeteria, ESP/LPN and Secretaries units.


Shared from   https://www.franklinps.net/sites/g/files/vyhlif4431/f/agendas/negotiationa_agenda_-_1-9-23.pdf 

Franklin School Committee - Contractual Negotiations - Executive Session scheduled for Jan 9, 2023
Franklin School Committee - Contractual Negotiations - Executive Session scheduled for Jan 9, 2023

Friday, December 16, 2022

Franklin School Committee - Contractual Negotiations - Executive Session scheduled for Jan 9, 2023

Franklin Public Schools - Franklin School Committee
Contractual Negotiations
January 9, 2023

  • Van Drivers - 11:30 - 1 PM
  • Cafeteria - 3-4 PM
  • ESP/LPN - 4-5 PM
  • Secretaries - 5-6 PM
Municipal Building 3rd Floor Training Room

A G E N D A
"The listing of matters are those reasonably anticipated by the Chair which may be discussed at the meeting. Not all items listed may in fact be discussed and other items not listed may also be brought up for discussion to the extent permitted by law."
1. Call to Order

2. Executive Session
a. Pursuant to M.G.L. c. 30A, §21(a)(3) to discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining with the Van Drivers, Cafeteria, ESP/LPN and Secretaries units as an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the bargaining position of the School Committee and the chair so declares.
b. Pursuant to M.G.L. c. 30A, §21(a)(2) to conduct collective bargaining sessions with the Van Drivers, Cafeteria, ESP/LPN and Secretaries units.


Shared from   https://www.franklinps.net/sites/g/files/vyhlif4431/f/agendas/negotiationa_agenda_-_1-9-23.pdf 

Franklin School Committee - Contractual Negotiations - Executive Session scheduled for Jan 9, 2023
Franklin School Committee - Contractual Negotiations - Executive Session scheduled for Jan 9, 2023

Thursday, December 8, 2022

Finance Committee gets to a better understanding of the school budget (video)

The Finance Committee got almost all they asked for at their meeting Wednesday. This was the scheduled deep dive into the school budget and while most questions were covered in detail, some were put aside for follow up.

From an observer's perspective, while this was the deepest dive by this committee, many of the topics and questions were covered during School Committee meetings, so it would seem to make sense to have more meetings like this to enhance that communication flow rather than waiting for the budget hearings or this type of 'deep dive'.

Given the focus on the hard question for why the School Committee deviated from the plan for COLA with the bargaining units that the rest of the units settled for, teacher contracts received 4/4/4% vs. town contracts of 2.5/2.5/2.5%. More communication could avoid the surprise and better understand the rationale rather than waiting.

Franklin TV video replay ->  https://youtu.be/o4vY1ekbk10

The agenda and released documents for this meeting can be found ->

My recap and full set of notes will be shared in a day or so


Franklin, MA: Finance Committee meeting
Franklin, MA: Finance Committee meeting


Saturday, November 19, 2022

Pre-Negotiations Committee Strategy Meeting - Executive Session - Dec 8

Franklin School Committee
Negotiations Sub Committee
December 8, 2022 - 3:30-5:00 PM

Remote Participation via Zoom:

Meeting of the Negotiating Sub-Committee for the ESP/LPN, Cafeteria,
Secretaries & Van Driver Units

1. Call to Order

2. Executive Session
a. Pursuant to M.G.L. c. 30A, §21(a)(3) to discuss strategy with respect to collective
bargaining with the ESP/LPN, Cafeteria, Secretaries & Van Drivers units as an
open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the bargaining position of the
School Committee and the chair so declares.
3. Adjournment



Note: since the meeting is mainly an "executive session", not much use in attending. Sharing to help comply with open meeting legalese.


Pre-Negotiations Committee Strategy Meeting - Executive Session - Dec 8
Pre-Negotiations Committee Strategy Meeting - Executive Session - Dec 8

Monday, June 27, 2022

School Committee votes to accept new 3 year teacher contract

The School Committee met mostly in Executive Session, and in the brief public session voted to accept the negotiated teacher contract terms with the Franklin Education Association (FEA) for the period September 1, 2022 to August 31, 2025.

The meeting portion of this recording should start at about 2:00 minutes with the announcement of "recording in progress". After they enter executive session via roll call, the recording stops and the wfpr.fm broadcast resumes.

You can listen to the broadcast, or skip ahead to 37:42 when they return from open session. Current Asst Superintendent Lucas Giguere provides some updates on key speaking points:
  • interest based bargaining to reach 3 year agreement
  • 4 percent increases to the salary grid for years 1, 2 and 3 
  • elementary teachers got an increase from 30 to 40 consecutive minutes for prep time
  • middle and high school teachers got a daily advisory period for purposes of consistent application of social and emotional curriculum
  • department heads and directors will formally participate in the teacher evaluation process
  • language around course approval and limitations to that
  • also bereavement language around coverage for family members that may not be art of a traditional family such as step parents or partners
In the roll call vote Dave Callahan abstained, all other committee members voted for and when asked by the Chair, Town Administrator Jamie Hellen voted no. So this is new, I have not heard of our Town Administrator participating with the vote of the school committee. 

I'll record it as 6-0-1 (7 members, 6 for, 1 abstain) all via roll call.
 

Sunday, June 21, 2020

Franklin, MA: School Committee - Agenda - June 23, 2020

Franklin School Committee 
June 23, 2020 - 7:00 PM

Meetings are recorded by Franklin TV and shown on Comcast channel 11 and Verizon channel 29

Vision Statement

The Franklin Public Schools will foster within its students the knowledge and skills to find and achieve satisfaction in life as productive global citizens.


LOCATION: Remote participation via:
Join Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/j/95630404218?pwd=cjdpMU5DdVFXYlp6Y2svUVhJYzg3Zz09 
Meeting ID: 956 3040 4218
Password: FSC

One tap mobile  +13017158592,,95630404218#,,,,0#,,036551# US (Germantown)

Dial by your location
+1 646 558 8656 US (New York)
Meeting ID: 956 3040 4218
Password: 036551

Agenda

“The listing of matters are those reasonably anticipated by the Chair which may be discussed at the meeting. Not all items listed may in fact be discussed and other items not listed may also be brought up for discussion to the extent permitted by law.”

Call to Order
Pledge of Allegiance 
Moment of Silence

I. Routine Business
A. Review of Agenda
B. Citizen’s Comments
In the spirit of open communication, “the Committee will hold a public participation segment (also called Citizen’s Comments) about matters not related to an agenda item at the beginning of each regular School Committee meeting. The Committee will listen to, but not respond to any comment made…. A Committee member may add an agenda item to a future meeting as a result of a citizen comment…. The Committee will hear public comments related to an agenda item when the Chair deems appropriate during the Committee meeting. Topics for discussion during the meeting must be limited to those items listed on the Committee meeting agenda for that evening…. ” - from Policy BEDH
C. FHS Student Representative Comments
D. Superintendent’s Report

II. Guests/Presentations
A. none

III. Discussion/Action Items
A. Budget Discussion and Revised FY 21 Budget
I recommend the School Committee adopt a revised budget of $65, 658,500 as discussed.
https://www.franklinps.net/sites/franklinmaps/files/uploads/discussion_action_a_-_fy21_revised_budget_0.pdf

B. School Committee Resolution: “COVID-19 State Funding”
I recommend the School Committee adopt the School Committee Resolution “COVID-19 State Funding” as discussed.
https://www.franklinps.net/sites/franklinmaps/files/uploads/discussion_action_b_-_resolution.pdf

C. School Committee Resolution: “Resolution in Support of Funding in the COVID-19 Era”
I recommend the School Committee adopt the School Committee Resolution “Resolution in Support of Funding in the COVID-19 Era” as discussed.
https://www.franklinps.net/sites/franklinmaps/files/uploads/discussion_action_c_-_resolution.pdf

D. School Committee Resolution: “Anti-Racism Resolution”
I recommend the School Committee adopt the School Committee Resolution “Anti-Racism Resolution” as discussed.
https://www.franklinps.net/sites/franklinmaps/files/uploads/discussion_action_d_-_resolution.pdf

E. Franklin High School Class of 2020 Student Activity Account
I recommend that the Franklin High School Class of 2020 be permitted to carry over $20,000 from student activity funds instead of the customary $10,000 as discussed.
https://www.franklinps.net/sites/franklinmaps/files/uploads/discussion_action_e_-_fhs_activity_accounts.pdf

IV. Discussion Only Items
A. Davis Thayer Facilities Analysis Questionnaire
B. 2020-21 School Committee Schedule

V. Information Matters

A. School Committee Sub-Committee Reports (e.g. Ad Hoc Supt. Evaluation, Ad Hoc Facilities Analysis, Budget, Community Relations/Public Schools Advocacy, Policy, Transportation)
B. School Committee Liaison Reports (e.g. Joint PCC, Substance Abuse Task Force, School Wellness Advisory Council)

VI. New Business
A. To discuss any future agenda items

VII. Consent Agenda
A. Approval of Minutes
I recommend approval of the minutes from your June 9, 2020 School Committee Meeting as detailed.
B. Transfers
I recommend approval of the budget transfers as detailed.
C. American Heart Association Gift
I recommend acceptance of the gift of $2,800.00 from the American Heart Association for the Kid’s Heart Challenge to be disbursed as detailed.
D. Approval of Executive Session Minutes
I recommend approval of the executive session minutes from your June 9, 2020 school committee meeting as detailed to be released.
E. Music Gift
I recommend acceptance of a check for $2,700.00 from the Music Boosters for in-house enrichment as detailed.

VIII. Payment of Bills Dr. Bergen

IX. Payroll Ms. D’Angelo

X. Executive Session
A. Pursuant to M.G.L. c. 30A, §21(a)(3) to discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining with the FEA/RN, FEA/Cafeteria, FEA/ESP, FEA/Secretaries, FEA/Van Drivers as an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the bargaining position of the School Committee and the chair so declares.
B. Pursuant to M.G.L. c. 30A, §21(a)(3) to discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining with the Non-Union Personnel as an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the bargaining position of the School Committee and the chair so declares.

XI. Adjournment


The meeting packet and related documents released for this session
https://www.franklinps.net/district/meeting-packets/pages/june-23-2020-school-committee-meeting-packet

Franklin, MA: School Committee  - Agenda - June 23, 2020
Franklin, MA: School Committee  - Agenda - June 23, 2020

Monday, March 11, 2019

In the News: Franklin resident graduates from firefighting program; Stop & Shop unions vote to authorize strike

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

Franklin resident graduates from firefighting recruit program
"Two local firefighters are among 36 who graduated last Friday from the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy’s 50-day Career Recruit Firefighter Training Program. 
Students receive classroom training in all basic firefighter skills. To graduate, they must demonstrate proficiency in life safety, search and rescue, ladder operations, water supply, pump operation, and fire attack. Fire attack operations range from mailbox fires to multiple-floor or multiple-room structural fires. 
“This rigorous professional training provides our newest firefighters with the basic skills to perform their jobs effectively and safely,” said State Fire Marshal Peter Ostroskey."
Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20190310/franklin-medway-residents-graduate-from-firefighting-recruit-program


Stop & Shop unions vote to authorize strike
"Continuing their fight for a fair new contract, members of three more local Stop & Shop unions voted Sunday to authorize a strike against the Quincy-based company including a group at Ambrosia’s Wedding & Events. 
More than 1,000 members of Local Union 328, the largest Stop & Shop union group, met two weeks after the first store union voted to authorize the strike. Richard Wright, a meat cutter at Stop and Shop and a member of the Local 328 executive board, said workers want to be fairly compensated. 
“We’re not asking for the world,” he said. “We just want to keep our fair share in what goes on. We are the people that run their stores. We are the face of Stop & Shop. We do all their work for them. We’ve been doing it for years, and it’s a slap in the face to us what their proposals are and just to cast us aside.”
Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20190310/stop-amp-shop-unions-vote-to-authorize-strike

Stop & Shop unions vote to authorize strike
Stop & Shop unions vote to authorize strike

Monday, December 24, 2018

In the News: NationalGrid negotiations resume Dec 26; vehicles sold in MA required to be electric by 2040

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:
"The calendar for the next two weeks is creating some interesting interplay between a benefit bill for locked-out workers, Christmas and the end of the 2017-2018 session, and contract talks between National Grid and its 1,200 locked-out natural gas workers. 
Lawmakers on Friday agreed to the details of a bill extending unemployment benefits for locked-out workers and it appears they may take enactment votes to send that bill to Gov. Charlie Baker’s desk on Monday, Christmas Eve. 
Meantime, National Grid has been saying for days that it hoped to strike a deal with two employee unions by Christmas. However, a company spokeswoman on Saturday confirmed to the News Service that after seven consecutive weekdays of bargaining, the next session won’t be held until Wednesday, Dec. 26. 
And in another new wrinkle, the unions and the company issued a rare joint statement Friday night that suggested some optimism about a potential deal and markedly contrasted with the snippy statements that both sides have regularly issued after unsuccessful talks."
Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20181223/national-grid-union-hope-to-end-impasse-by-friday


"Ready or not, Massachusetts is speeding headlong into a brave new transportation world. 
It may not include flying cars, but state leaders are looking to help pave the way for self-driving cars, an all-electric car future, a transportation grid resilient to climate change and a planned “reinvention” of the commuter rail system serving metropolitan Boston. 
Among the recommendations laid out in a hefty, two-volume report released this month by a state commission on the future of transportation in Massachusetts is for the state to set a goal “that all new cars, light duty trucks, and buses sold in Massachusetts will be electric by 2040.” 
It’s part of a wider blueprint to create what the commission called “a 21st-century mobility infrastructure” that will help the state and its cities and towns both manage and make the most of emerging changes in transportation technology and behavior."
Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20181223/brave-new-world-for-mass-transportation

In case you missed the post shared here last week:
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2018/12/focused-on-big-picture-on-what-and-why.html

Visit the Commission page  
https://www.mass.gov/orgs/commission-on-the-future-of-transportation

Report - Volume 1:
Choices for Stewardship: Recommendations to Meet the Transportation Future
https://www.mass.gov/files/documents/2018/12/14/FOTCVolume1_1.pdf 

Report - Volume 2:
Choices for Stewardship: Background Books – Facts, Trends, and Issues 
https://www.mass.gov/files/documents/2018/12/14/FOTCVolume2.pdf

Commission on the Future of Transportation, recommends 18 ways the state should prepare for potential changes in transportation
Commission on the Future of Transportation, recommends 18 ways the state
should prepare for potential changes in transportation

Thursday, June 25, 2015

In the News: 3 alarm fire, fire fighter deal approved



A three-alarm fire ripped through the basement and first floor of a Washington Street house early Wednesday morning, causing roughly $200,000 in damages. 
Crews responded to the two-and-a-half floor home at 886 Washington St. just before 1 a.m. to find heavy smoke on the first floor and fire in the basement. 
No one was home at the time of the fire. Smoke reached the second floor, but fire never took hold.


http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20150624/NEWS/150627973/1994/NEWS



The town Council approved four years of retroactive salary compensation for the fire department by an 8-1 vote Wednesday night, ending a four-year dispute and drawing cheers from local firefighters. 
After roughly 150 firefighters and union members from around the state demonstrating in the town hall parking lot, dozens of firefighters filed the council chamber for a decision that would increase their pay for the first time since 2011. After the votes were tallied, the firefighters applauded the council before shaking hands with council members as they made their way out the door. 
The firefighters’ union president, Bob Donovan, observed the handshakes looked a bit like hockey teams at the end of a game. 
“This decision was hard-fought,” he said. “But at the end of the day, it’s important to shake hands and look forward."

http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20150624/NEWS/150627961/1994/NEWS

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Women in Negotiation: internal views and external responses


Tuesday, January 14
6:30 PM

Learn how a woman’s internal views on negotiation, and her own negotiation style, may have an impact on her personal and professional life.


GUEST SPEAKER: Jennifer Lampi
A specialist in negotiation techniques, Ms. Lampi has worked closely with Professor Linda Babcock, author of Women Don’t Ask, researching the impacts of gender on negotiation. At Accenture, she has advised teams, coached female executives, and trained people on how to practice and utilize different negotiation techniques.


Location: Dean College - Campus Center.
Free parking on campus at 100 West Central Street, Franklin

FREE ADMISSION

RSVP alumni@dean.edu


Sunday, December 4, 2011

"a transparent process based on real budget limitations"


"It really is the way of the future," Franklin Superintendent Maureen Sabolinski said of interest-based, or collaborative, bargaining. "It really is the way to negotiate for the 21st century, especially in times of minimal resources." 
Interest-based bargaining requires training, and forces both teacher unions and a town's school officials to decide which issues to address during negotiations together, rather than coming to a negotiating table with set lists of demands. 
The result, said Boston-based negotiations trainer Mary Ellen Shea, is better relationships between towns and unions, and significant and even money-saving changes to contracts.

Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/education/x1560337199/Towns-teachers-learn-to-negotiate-better#ixzz1fZEUdiUk


In October, the Boston Foundation released a report on interest-based bargaining:
The report, Toward a New Grand Bargain: Collaborative Approaches to Labor-Management Reform in Massachusetts, presents a new, collaborative approach to the bargaining process in place of the current, adversarial tone of contract negotiations. This latest report in the Understanding Boston series was released at an Understanding Boston Forum at the Boston Foundation on Oct. 19, and featured a panel discussion by  labor union, school and Patrick Administration leaders.
Click through to this page to download the report and view a video panel discussion of the report findings.

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

"a situation that requires urgent action"

Unlike the state, municipalities must negotiate with local unions before increasing co-pays or deductibles, a requirement the report's sponsors and the Massachusetts Municipal Association want dropped. 
At issue is what role collective bargaining should play in revising the system and whether municipalities should join the state plan or simply use it as a model. 
Unions made other concessions to get better health care, state fire union head Ed Kelly said, but are open to deductibles and larger co-pays as long as bargaining is protected and a safety net established for especially sick employees and their relatives. 
"We don't have our heads in the sand," he said. "We know this is a problem."
Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/archive/x532922584/Report-says-health-coverage-for-municipal-employees-costs-too-much#ixzz1IjbLPUOK


Franklin, MA

Saturday, April 4, 2009

A rose is a rose is a wage increase

Gertrude Stein would roll over if she heard that a wage freeze is not really a wage freeze. Yes, Gertrude is the one who wrote the oft quoted lines:
"Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose"
There are at least four key terms that we should all be aware of and agree on how they are to be used; freeze, increase, step, lane.

Freeze as I want to use it is defined as "a halt of a regular operation"

Step is the increase associated with moving from one salary step to another, usually associated with years of service.

Lane is the increase associated with moving from one classification on a step to another.

Increase is an amount more in one period than in the comparable period.

For example, the salary table may look like this for one year.

Step Bachelor B +15 B+36/M
1 38,010 39,501 41,759
2 39,935 41,813 44,071
3 42,688 44,130 46,387

Someone would get hired with a bachelors degree and start on Step 1 for their first year.

In year 2, they would move to Step 2. (Step as defined above results in an increase from 38,010 to 39,935.)

If they completed 15 credits towards their next degree, in Year 3 they could make a Lane change and move to the B+15 column. So instead of earning 42,688 with a Step change, they would earn 44,130 with a Lane change.

The entire salary table would change from one year to the next based upon contract negotiation. If the union was successful in negotiating a 2.5% increase, then each number in the table would be increased by 2.5% for the next year. The second year table would look like this:

Step Bachelor B +15 B+36/M
1 38,960 40,489 42,803
2 40,933 42,858 45,173
3 43,755 45,233 47,547

Calculate the difference between Bachelor Step 1 in the first table (38,010) and the second table (38,960) the difference is 950 or 2.499% which rounds to 2.5%.

Why do this?
Well according to the information I have received, the wage freezes announced by the town only include the increase from year to year, they do not include the step or lane changes.

So if this is true, don't be too surprised when the budget comes out and the total salary lines are actually higher than last year.

Where did the wage freeze go?

No wonder Shakespeare said "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet"