Labor Relations

Labor Relations Services focuses on equipping school districts and their administrative teams with the tools and knowledge to empower these leaders to confront challenges in a proactive and deliberate manner. Our depth of experience supports critical needs, gaps, and emerging trends in the complicated overlaps of labor, employment, and education.

As part of the Labor Relations General Service tier the professional and experienced staff of Labor Relations Services works closely with superintendents, business officials, and other administrators from subscribing school districts to provide advice and guidance through many facets of employment-related issues, including seniority and tenure issues, the implementation and interpretation of collective bargaining agreements, hiring and termination of employees, and counseling and disciplinary proceedings. Labor Relations Services will also assist with the grievance process, including developing strategies and preparing responses to grievances.

Labor Relations Services provides frequent professional development opportunities on a variety of topics for school districts’ administrative team members, including student discipline, civil rights compliance, drafting effective counseling memoranda, progressive discipline, personnel and negotiations issues frequently encountered by the business office, strategies for addressing absenteeism, the interactive process pursuant to the ADA, and best practices for conducting investigations. Subscribing school districts’ administrative team members may register and attend these training sessions at no additional charge.

As part of the Labor Relations General Service tier, superintendents will have access to a robust database containing comparative data for salary, benefits and other terms and conditions of employment for instructional, non-instructional, and administrative employees within the region. This data has proven to be an invaluable resource when negotiating with collective bargaining units. In addition, the Labor Relations staff is available to provide analysis of your collective bargaining agreements and offer suggestions and guidance for negotiations.

The Labor Relations Extended Service tier is available to those school districts enrolled in the General Service tier. As part of the Extended Service tier, the experienced and knowledgeable Labor Relations Services staff are available to serve as at-the-table negotiators to represent school districts in negotiations with collective bargaining units, and to represent and advocate for school districts in arbitrations and during proceedings before administrative agencies, such as the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB). In addition, our professionals conduct independent investigations into employee and/or student complaints of discrimination or allegations of misconduct, and serve as impartial hearing officers in a variety of administrative hearings, including, but not limited to, Section 71, 73, and 75 hearings.

This benefit is offered exclusively to members of the Labor Relations CoSer.  The Listserv is designed to instantly bring our subscribing districts together for a convenient virtual roundtable discussion.  Have a unique issue, question, comment, or concern you would like to share with the other Districts subscribing to the Labor Relations Service?  Send a message using the below email address and your email will be distributed to your colleagues in the CoSer and the Labor Relations Office for comment and discussion.

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