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Show -- Owes americm Teachers and Administrators Should Adopt Mediation in Future by Milt Bissegger Gazette staff writer In the Jordan School District the impasse over teachers salaries is over and in the Granite District mediation almost ensures an friendly settlement. Thus, it appears school will start on time throughout the state in all its school districts. But the price for settlement has been too Not in money high. terms, for teachers, who mold the professional and social futures of our children, are stUI woefully underpaid. Both the teachers and the school boards have too much of their good-wi- ll expended and their professional relationship in the struggle over salaries Our children have lost, too, particularly in the Jordan District. Because of the salary impasse, many students were surely convinced that they would not return to school on time or. if they did. thst class-wowould not start on time, thus offering a respite from the routing and demands of school work. Traditionally reluctant to return to school in the fall, they cannot help but be frustrated by what they will consider to be a rt deception by their teachers and the school boards. And this will likely be translated into more restlessness and a mote difficult discipline problem for the teachers for the first few days of school. The effect of the teachers has. likewise, been unsettling. Going down to the wire in contract negotiations cant help but be exhausting for the teachers, who did not know until August 27 how long they might be delayed in returning to school, with a consequent loss of salary. The teachers families have fdt this frustration, too. And they and the teachers cannot help but feci even mote frustrated that the salary increase will not even cover the loss of income through inflation during this psst year. The experience this year, a repetition of the experience of other years, should surely suggest that something must be done to avoid similar problems in the future. This year the Utah Legislature failed to pass a bill to provide for settlement of contract disputes involving public employees, including teachers. Some districts have provisions for mediation, but the success of mediation depends entirely on the good will and flexibility of th parties. What is needed is a legal provision giving both parties an equal footing in negotiating contracts and piefcrrably including a provision for binding arbitration should all voluntary measures fail to solve disputes. One of the perennial problems of teacher contract negotiations is that the districts are traditionally conservative in their estimates of revenue. Thus, almost invariably, revenue exceeds estimates but the surplus is almost never used for increasing teachers slarics. In the Granite and Jordan districts these surpluses have amounted to 5500,000 to 11,000,000 during the past few years. A sense of justice would seem to indicate that at least some of this money should be given to the teachers, especially when their increases, such as this year's do not make un fur loss of income through inflation. Wc suggest that there needs to be a revision of the bar gaining process with the districts and the teachers voluntarily agreeing to establish mediation procedures. Negotiations should begin early enough so that by early May each year unresolvalble issues are dearly defined. These issues should then be submitted to mediation. If, by e the issues remain unresolved, binding arbitration should be invoked by mutual to bring final settlement by June 30. The school boards must recognize that the teachers have a right to defend their interests on an equal footing with the districts. The most important elements for their negotiations must be mutual respect and a willingness to negotiate. Such a system would eliminate the unsettling situation we have experienced this year. To do less than work towards the establishment of such a system is unjust to teachers, students, administrators and parents and unnecessarily weakens the educational process. mid-Jun- CF IWH MAR251976 n "Your Informative Vol. 1 I.: Community News Source? No. 20 August 29. 1975 City Bids SlOqOOO Oil Firm , High Bidder for W. Jordan School An intermountain oil firm ' may haw ended the controversy concerning the purchase of the West Jordan Elementary School property at 7800 So. and 1700 W. Bids were opened Tuesday night before the West Jordan City Council with Behunin and Company submitting the highest bid of 5400,000. Joseph Behunin,. who submitted the bid. gave the council a as down . fhcck for $20,000 sq .;m.'ni with the ba'anre du? in sixty days. George McKay and Connie Klein of the Jordan Education Association executive board announce to teachers and press Joseph Behunin was reluctant to say exactly what plans were for the property but did say they were commercial which may mean more problems for the firm because the property is not presently zoned for commercial use and according strike vote results. Settle for 10.25 Jordan Schools to Open on Schedule The Jordan Board of Education had a extremclly important decision to make Tuesday night when it considered the question of submitting the teacher contract dispute to The Board of Education remained in Executive Session until 4:00 Wednesday morning deliberating the JEA's request to submit the deadlocked contract neogiations to mediation. The spirited meeting was frequently with and comments. One citizen arose to state that if the teacher decided to strike, he and others were prepared to take out a damage suit against the Jordan Education Association. Mrs. Connie Klein, JEA stated that 812 of the teachers had voted to w- alk out, but she added that none of the teachers wanted to do that. Dr. Waller D. Talbot, state superintendent of public ins truction, was carrying out the shuttle diplomacy between the JEA and the school board Wednesday morning. The school district finally decided to increase the 10 offer to 10.25 percent for the salary increase for the teachers. Settlement Accepted At 1:00 Wednesday afternoon the Jordan Education met at Hillcrest h School to vote on the or rejection of the Board's settlement. George McKay, Ex. Director for the JEA. stated that the neogiations had been very successful, with many of the issues being approved by the school board. He also stated that in order to take a giant step you sometimes have to be content with a scries of smaller steps. The teachers' of the Jordan Education Association approved the 10.25 percent settlement. The 1400 teachers were iy told they were to report to work at their schools at 9:00 on Thursday to prepare for the opening of school. A from the Union Jr. High was read and accepted stating that the JEA comm ended the echoed board for their action and that if an impasse developed in the future neogiations that mediation would be the acceptable solution to work things out. Director Thanks Council For Summer Help a consideration and then, if not acceptable, to C.R. England and Sons, who had the thifd If none high bid of 5220,000. of the commercial firms wanted the property as it stands now with the 0 zoning, the property would go to the city of coaid ga to the city In the event the council de- cides not to rezone the property for commercial use, the ase offer may go to the next highest bidder; Bagely and Company, who bid 5306,000 for purch-re-zoni- Will zoning be West Jordan who submitted the low bid of 5100.000. The council will have to hold a public hearing before any decision on the issue is made, tORUM Parents, PTA Demand Change in Bus Plan Approved city-wid- Now the negotiations begin for the West Jordan Elementary School. changed or remain according to master plan? a Sandy Primary Election councilman noted that in the past, Sandy was too small for the need of the ordir.arce but , , Councilmen unanimously passed had grown to the poiit where all the citizenry now needed e a motion setting up a the opportunity for candidacy. The ordinance is designed to Sandy, as a 3rd class city. eliminate the dickish domin- has the legal right to bar ation produced by strict partly political parties from playing a affiliation. It attempts to allow part in city government. all interested citizens the oppFirst and second class cities do not have this option. ortunity to run for office withThc ordinance docs not pro- out the party backing. that elude possibly groups city growing np of candidates could join togclh-Grant Hurst, former Sandy cr in mutual platform aggrcc- ment in order to gain primary election victory; perhaps a sc- manlic loophole. MgiLr cad la cHy Thc council based its decision on the idea (hat although it would eventually cost the city more In sponsor the primary election, approximately 52.000. it would allow a broader cross- section of the community to in city government, Hurst questioned whether two mistakes in the public notiev published lust week wo- uld default the proposed nidi- nance hot councilman Dick A- dair, silling in for Mayor Blulh assured him that City Attorney Gunn had investigated the matter and found that it would not affect the outcome, West Jordan Summer Recreation Program says thank you to the City Council of West Jordan, The mistakes involved petition with a big ThankYou Card which was made by the children who participated in the program. deadlines and residency qualifi- More than 387 youngsters of West Jordan participated in the summer recreation program CTlforerw. Jordan. West of sponsored this summer by the City pcIHIana aiaHahlr Activities such as eating the largest ice cream sundae in West Jordan with many other projects in children. City Manager, Jim Ash said the out to creativity and activities designed bring candidatcs in the petitions will be County. The recreation program wu the second largest city program sponsored available immediately at the dly recorders office. Re c to the city's master plan of the area is not sug- gested. Purchase of the build- ing was not contingent on the and will now have to be brought before the council in the form of a public hearing, - j Lany John Gazette investigative reporter This week the Gazette Forum on an issue of great he parent of chil- concern dren attending Majestic Elem- cntaiy and West Jordan Junior fncu High Schools. The bussing program currcn- tly in force in the Jordan Schol District states that no bus- sing will be provided for stu- dents who live within a one mile radius of tlm school. hi a meeting with the Jordan Sih'l Board. Tuesday evening, Majestic Elementary School FTA President, Jeanne Schus-presented the problem in a nutshell. Slus said that in the urea surrounding Redwood Rd. mid 70th South there would be approximately 160 students ca- h morning walking to school. She staled that the PTA and concerned parents felt the mile limit was mil nd hat if conditions were c. children shoulij be able to walk this distance. However, with the 50 mile per hour speed limit on Redwood Road and the lack of sidewalks, the group fell it was unsafe for children to walk along the road. dtp RgMa Mrs. Schuster also pointed out that there ia no atop light at 70th So. and Redwood, an intersection that the school ch- ildren would have to cross in order to get to both the MaJwc Elementary and West The intersecJordan Junior. tion. which has approximately 7400 cars traveling it a day. has stop signs for traffic only eolation proposed n efforts to solve this pro- blcm. representatives of the pments group have talked to aaC highway department requesting action. They rcccived a committment that a study m (he light would be done by f the Highway de- 15lh. that a light sh- fells partment mig be installed on the corner (awJ hcy have already received a petition from the city of West Jordan) they said they c,uld have the light in by December I5lh. It was pointed 1U that the area has no wakx and in a letter from WcM jIHdnn city Chcif of Pol- other problems were br- h at- ought to the school boards It was mentioned that ihore were no street lights and that many of hc students bc- j.auKc of early morning UH would be walking this area c dark. The chcif decided jn cast-we- st ached-Robe- rt lie Mrs. Schuster then pointed out. that under state law, the boards of education could change the mile ruling in areas deemed hazardous. The parents group pleaded with the that this situation be ta- on it's own merit, and that with-ithe next week, before school kids began walking these dangerous streets, a study be done and a solution presented, The PTA then asked the board to provide temporary bu- ssing for the children until the light could be installed on 70th So. They felt that even though this really didn't solve the pro- blcm completely it did help to the chances of disaster, The group also volunteered th- cir services in many areas to holp raise the fends necessary to pay for the temporary bus- n Aflcr lengthy discussion, the decided to take the sit- nation under advisement. A special investigative com- mittcc will be formed to try and solve the rbhU m. In an interview with Mrs. "request1" for temporary bus- - Schuster, she stated that the would be composed sina was made to provide safe committee an of elementary grade teacher, transit until the highway depaa member of the school board. a parent of a student, and two The religious representatives. committee will be given a imum of two weeks to draw up proposals to present to the school board and parents groups Mrs. Schuster told the n ette that the school board mber had already said they would not provide temporary bussing asked for by the PTA. The board felt if bussing were provided in this area it would set a precident for other areas to approach the board for a rule change, task ar people oriented Now the question; is the school board 'task oriented or A task people oriented'? iented administration can not successfully serve the people, All it can do is follow the rules whether right or wrong, We would hope that the school board, West Jordan City and the Utah State Highway De will take a dose look Docs one of at this situation. mir children have to be rificed before real action is to be taken. We sincerely hope not. Through the efforts of a truely concerned school board, an active rity government, and a hard working open minded group of parents and teachers this situation can be resolved without tradgedy. Gaz-boa- me-ke- sac-boa-rd |
