VIRGINA- Poised to end stalled negotiations on a new teacher contract by unilaterally imposing their own last, best and final offer, ISD 2142 board members instead hit the pause button at Tuesday’s regular meeting.
Negotiators for the board and EdMn Local 1046, representing the district’s teachers have been trying to negotiate a new contract since March 2021. Five face-to-face meetings, three mediation sessions, and three union votes later, negotiations remained deadlocked over economic issues.
Negotiators came close, approving a tentative agreement last fall that was submitted to union membership for a vote at the time. After the first vote on Oct. 27 ended in a tie, the teachers rejected the proposal in a re-vote on Nov. 3.
At a mediated session on Dec. 2, board negotiators presented their last, best and final offer to union representatives, and the full board approved the offer at a meeting on Dec. 14. That offer was again rejected by the teachers in a Jan. 11 vote.
A primary sticking point is the district’s proposal for a $2,000 stipend for full-time teachers in year 1 of the contract, prorated for part-timers, in lieu of incorporating an increase in the salary matrix in year 1. The district proposed an increase of 1.25 percent for year 2.
Prior offers by board negotiators to increase the district’s contributions to a tax-free tax health care savings plan and a 403(b) retirement plan also were removed in the last, best and final offer.
On Tuesday’s board agenda was an item to consider a resolution declaring an impasse in the negotiations and directing Superintendent Reggie Engebritson and administrative staff to unilaterally implement the last offer rejected by the union. The resolution included direction to incorporate various non-economic items already agreed to during negotiations. Such impasse actions by the board are authorized by state law.
However, the board met in a special closed session prior to the regular meeting to discuss the status of the negotiations. When they convened the regular meeting, the board voted unanimously to remove the impasse resolution from the agenda. No discussion was held and school officials offered no rationale for the change.
Also not discussed were possible next steps for resolving the contract dispute. One option would be to return to the bargaining table, most likely in the form of another mediated session.
Outside of a presentation by Q-Comp Director Kim Jirik supporting the renewal of the teacher professional development program, other agenda items were addressed and passed with little discussion.
The board was more engaged when member Chris Koivisto took the opportunity in member remarks at the end of the meeting to highlight the Iron Mosquitos robotics club at Northeast Range, which is currently working on a new robot for competition. Koivisto responded to numerous questions about the club and robotics options at other schools, noting in particular the many diverse technological, math, social and communication skills promoted by robotics that are transferable and beneficial for future employment and education opportunities. Member Bob Larson voiced his support for looking into options for all district schools to offer robotics.
Past board chairman Dan Manick used his time to first thank his fellow board members for their support during his tenure and made note of the manner in which board members have built mutual respect to work together productively, even in times of disagreement, to make decisions in the best interests of the district. As an example, he referenced the board’s decision-making regarding the district’s response to the COVID pandemic, where members reached consensus on issues such as masking after some members expressed concerns about proposed directions.
Manick then turned his attention to the disrespect of board decisions often generated in the general public, particularly on social media. Manick had on hand what he said was an example of such a post and read it verbatim to the board.
The item was a response to a Jan. 12 MPR article posted to Facebook about school districts in Minnesota going back to distance learning due to excessive student and staff absences related to “skyrocketing” case numbers. The individual who posted the article commented, “The kids’ safety and health should be the top priority so District 2142 should do the same.”
The response to that post read by Manick was clearly skeptical that ISD would consider such a move.
“2142 should do the same?” the post began. “Like THAT’s going to happen. The 2142 school board met Tuesday, and there wasn’t one single mention of anything related to COVID. ZERO. NOTHING. The superintendent stopped providing school COVID data to the media last September. Last year, the benchmark for distance learning was a two-week case rate of 50, and that’s when masks were required. In late fall, that rate was over 110, and did they even discuss the possibility of requiring masks? No. At the start of the school year, the state made a testing program available - ISD 2142 didn’t choose to participate in that. St. Louis County case rates today are ones we haven’t seen since the huge peak of November 2020, and they’re expected to go higher over at least the next couple of weeks. All this information is available to school leaders through a designated health department specialist who works with school districts in the northern part of the county. 2142 leadership is committed to in-person learning. The only way they’ll go to distance learning mode, IMHO, is if a large portion of people GET COVID. This isn’t a group of folks in leadership who would take a proactive step to do so to AVOID folks getting it.”
After reading the comment, Manick continued.
“It’s easy to sit around and criticize people at a table like this,” he said. “You know, social media is fascinating. I can go in my basement in the dark and I can type out anything I want to and send it out there, and it’s an opinion. But step forward, come and sit on a board and try to make some of these tough decisions. And I just wanted to let you know the person that wrote that is sitting in the room this day.”
Timberjay Cook/Orr Editor David Colburn immediately acknowledged he’d written the post.
“Absolutely. Right here,” he said. “Tell me what’s not factual about that statement.”
“Well, just the leadership …” Manick began, but Colburn repeated the question.
“Tell me what’s not factual about that statement,” he said.
Rather than answering the question, Manick continued.
“Criticizing our leadership, from Reggie onto this board,” he said.
Manick again mentioned the differences of opinion expressed by board members and the consensus reached among them before returning to the post.
“I just find it a lack of professional courtesy, and once again the respect,” he said. “I respect everybody’s opinion, especially on COVID. It’s not easy, it’s not, you know. So, I don’t mind being criticized as the board chair.”
Manick noted that he asked last year to be nominated as chair again to see the district through the pandemic.
“I wanted to see our kids stay in school,” he said. “And I hope we will look back in less than ten years and say we did the right thing. It isn’t easy. We’ve had kids get sick. No deaths. Don’t take this personal, Dave. It’s just if you want to share this room with us treat us with respect, that’s all.”
Colburn attempted to respond, but Manick cut him off, pointing out that as an audience member it was not his time to speak during member comments, something board chair Pat Christensen affirmed.
In other business, the board:
• Approved continuation of the Q Comp for the 2022-23 school year.
• Approved naming the Cherry School’s gymnasium Zupetz Gymnasium in honor of long-time dedicated teachers and counselor John and Lynette Zupetz.
• Expelled a student who engaged in violent physical behavior for one year.
• Approved the district’s Indian Policies and Procedures.
• Approved a memorandum of understanding related to the 2020-23 Contract with paraprofessionals and related positions modifying compensation rates.
• Approved an addendum to the contract with St. Louis County for the Check and Connect program adding one full-time mentor position for Chisholm schools, a .4 position at Vermilion Country School, and increasing the part-time mentor position in the Mt. Iron-Buhl district from .5 to .6.
• Considered a grievance from an employee whose request for a lateral transfer to a similar position at another school was denied by Supt. Engebritson. The board unanimously expressed support for Engebritson’s decision.