By Bridget Manley, publisher
Educators from across the city came out to support the Harrisonburg City School Board’s new collective bargaining resolution, the main topic of discussion at Tuesday night’s work session at Waterman Elementary School.
Cody Polk, president of the Harrisonburg Education Association, said members wanted to show “positivity and support” for the resolution, which is expected to come up for a vote at the board’s next meeting on Thursday, Nov. 7.
“We are feeling really good about the energy right now,” Polk said. “I think we have a lot of good school board members who are trying their best to help us. They are trying to do what they can.”
For the past year, the board has been working toward updating the language after an initial resolution stalled last October.
The original document, drafted by a task force that included board members and school officials, made Harrisonburg City Public Schools one of the first systems in Virginia to support the idea of collective bargaining, which is aimed at giving school district employees more direct authority to negotiate for their compensation. However, that resolution was suspended after the passage of the resolution, when members of the Virginia Education Association raised objections to the language.
Superintendent Michael Richards briefed board members Tuesday on the revisions, adding that the task force spent a year understanding concerns and crafting language that both sides would find acceptable.
Richards reiterated his support for collective bargaining, saying it would provide efficient and authentic participation for all parties.
“Any healthy organization, especially a large organization like we are, has a formal system for staff to be involved in a meaningful way in decision-making,” Richards said.
During the work session, board members debated changes to the resolution’s wording.
The Harrisonburg Education Association, made up of teachers and other school employees, has driven the push for collective bargaining and is the organization most likely represent all employees if the resolution passes. The resolution requires the employee association to demonstrate that an election was held and that 30% of employees support representation.
Board member Deb Fitzgerald proposed lowering the threshold from 30% to 10%. Board member Kristen Loflin suggested changing the language regarding mediation costs, proposing that both parties split the expense, rather than the school system covering it entirely.
Board member Emma Phillips questioned why there was a provision that prohibited the school system from blocking the spending of money on a collective bargaining process or otherwise impair the implementation of any collective bargaining agreement.
Richards explained that HEA members were concerned that while the current board supported collective bargaining, future boards or superintendents might not. The language is aimed at protecting the agreement from future changes.
Board member Andy Kohen said he was concerned with language prohibiting employees from contacting the city council or expressing their opinions, which he said could violate the employees’ First Amendment rights. Richards said he would consult with attorneys regarding free speech issues.
Teachers, many wearing red to show their support, filled Waterman’s cafeteria with signs in favor of the resolution.
The board will vote on the resolution and any of the proposed changes on a rare Thursday meeting on Nov. 7 so that the board won’t meet on Election Day, which is Nov. 5.
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