C: Conflict and Cooperation

Conflict and Cooperation 

April 4, 2007

Dear Board of Education Negotiating Team,

Having been on both a district negotiating team and a Union negotiating team I am very displeased at the process that you have been involved with regarding your contract negotiations with the Teachers Union. 

Might I suggest you rethink your strategy as you go forward with your discussions? It seems to me that the underlying focus for both sides should be the education of our students. I don’t want you to ignore the costs involved in this education process for obviously that is a factor in the type of education that you can provide. You want to keep the taxpayer’s money down and the union wants to keep the salaries and benefits up. But what is the value of this product (educating our children for the world they must live in and providing them with the skills needed to make it a better place) compared to the costs of providing it? 

This world is very competitive and the means needed to survive and excel do not come cheap. It not only takes money but time and understanding. And I believe that both sides of this conflict are losing sight of that. You are putting blinders on and seeing only the present, and not the future, which is what we should be planning for. Fifteen years from now, will not be the same as today. There will be conflicts we haven’t even thought of, jobs and careers that don’t even exist yet, and demographics that might be totally different than you who are making these decisions. How do you prepare for that?

I believe that the first step is to be realistic together with the union. You should both sit down and not talk about money first, but discuss where you are now and where you hope to be in the future. Then determine, again together, how you think best to get there. When you know where you are going, it is much easier to plan the route. 

My memories of being on negotiating teams is this: First, you think of the most outlandish, extravagant proposal. The “Pie in the Sky” ideal.  The concept is that you know the other side won’t accept it, and since they are doing the same thing, you start weedling it down until both sides get to the point where they agree. This I assume is the process that you are engaging in right now. 

But why was all this necessary? If you know what you propose is unreasonable, to begin with, and will never be accepted, why propose it? When both sides know what is best for the students and determine a common ground first, then the end result should be a better contract sooner than later. 

Once you know the direction you are going and why you want to get there, the next step is to educate your voters. Help them see what’s beyond the trees blocking their view. Because if they can’t see the forest for the trees and they only see dollar signs and are using their own childhood education experience, they will not be willing to vote to support your goals.  

The choice is yours to make. Please consider my points and make the right decision.

                  With due respect,

                              A concerned resident.

p.s. A copy of this letter has also been sent to the Teacher Union’s Negotiating team.