News and Updates

Negotiations Update: Talks at Impasse, Fact Finding is Next Step

The Association's and the Board's negotiating teams reached an impasse in talks at their last meeting on August 14th.  There are fifty-four proposals under consideration. Of that number, 10 have been resolved either through tentative agreement or withdrawal.

This marks the first time in more than a decade and a half that negotiations have not produced an agreement.  During that long period of successful agreements, talks were held under the direction of mediator Rob Stein.  see Read Bill Siegferth's Guest Editorial in The Beacon Journal    However, near the end of the last round in 2010, the Board's negotiating team dismissed him, and declined to use interest-based bargaining this year.

The next step is to move to a fact finder.  A fact finder is an arbitrator who will be selected from a panel provided by the American Arbitration Association.  Formats for fact-finding can vary, depending on how the arbitrator chooses to proceed. Typically, both sides present issues and arguments for their proposals.  The fact finder may make a report or recommendation for a settlement.   Both sides can agree or reject the report.

The fact-finder has scheduled the first meeting in mid February.  Under Ohio Revised Code, our current contract will be in effect until a new agreement is reached.

STRS-- Governor signed Pension Bill on September 26th

The State Teachers Retirement System reports the following: "On Sept. 26, Governor Kasich signed STRS Ohio’s pension reform bill into law. The Ohio Legislature passed pension reform bills on Sept. 12, to improve the financial condition of all five Ohio pension systems, including the State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio (STRS Ohio). The STRS Ohio bill, Substitute Senate Bill 342, was based on the reform plan approved unanimously by the State Teachers Retirement Board on April 19, 2012. The bill will go into effect Jan. 7, 2013, but most of STRS Ohio’s plan changes will take effect July 1, 2013, or later." See the STRS website for the most up-to date information: https://www.strsoh.org/.