So there was a mediation session today. Depending on who you asked, it lasted anywhere from 20 to 45 minutes. Not a bit longer. The teachers' union bargaining team asked for the financial records of the district that were supposed to have been prepared by mid-September, but still haven't been released. The district refused to turn over the financial information. They simply changed the date on the same offer they've been offering since April, the one in which some teachers get a serious pay cut, and refused to even discuss it. The mediator closed the meeting, and called the next one for Monday, October 6th, at 2 pm.
Ok. Several problems with this.
The district was supposed to have those financial records prepared, by state law, by mid-September. They are supposed to be publicly available, but they refuse to turn them over to the union bargaining team. Why won't they release the financial records? What are they hiding?
The teachers' union presented the same offer as before, again with the provision that they would be flexible and the numbers could change downward (at this point, no teacher expects an 11% increase over three years, most of them would just be happy with a one-year contract that doesn't have pay cuts). The district refused to even discuss the numbers at all, and will not bargain.
And lastly, what the heck is the mediator thinking, making everyone wait FIVE DAYS for another session?!?? Did one of the sides ask for this, or was it the mediator's idea? The district is trying to pin the blame on the teachers, but I don't buy it. Why aren't the two groups meeting non-stop? I'm beginning to wonder if a different mediator can be called in to monitor the actions of the current mediator.
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