This fall, approximately 180 school boards will prepare to enter negotiations with their teachers’ associations. In addition, many districts will also be bargaining with their support staff and their administrators/supervisors associations.

To help boards prepare for their negotiations responsibilities, NJSBA is offering three bargaining programs this fall, including:

• Preparing for Bargaining on September 24 will help boards understand the role of the bargaining team, how to cost out the contract, how to develop board proposals, and the legal requirements that govern the negotiations process.
• Intermediate Bargaining on October 8 will address union proposals, counter-proposals and tradeoffs, effective communications techniques, and impasse procedures.
• Advanced Bargaining on November 19-20 will give participants an opportunity to engage in face-to-face bargaining and to hone their negotiations skills in a risk-free environment.

In addition, the Labor Relations Department Web page provides information on current topics, including health insurance information. It also contains current negotiations data and links to two subscriber services: Index and Analyses of PERC Decisions and The Negotiations Advisor Online. All of these labor relations resources can be valuable tools for districts that are preparing for negotiations.