Labor Relations Services

Advice and Assistance

Labor relations staff are available to answer questions and provide advice and assistance to board members, administrators, and attorneys on such diverse topics as negotiations, grievances, mediation, fact-finding, job actions, salary guides, contract language, employee benefits, as well as statutes and case-law affecting labor relations. Contact Labor Relations at 609-278-5219.

Contract Analyses and Other In-District Consultations

Labor relations staff will analyze your districts collective bargaining agreement to identify provisions that are illegal or ill-advised and provisions that are advantageous and protective of the boards interests. A staff member will meet with your board (or negotiations committee) to review this analysis and answer questions.

In addition, labor relations staff can provide in-district consultations on specific topics of interest, such as: preparing for bargaining; negotiations strategy; analysis of board and union proposals; collaborative bargaining; preparing for mediation and fact-finding; contract administration; salary guide problems; and employee job actions.

Salary Guide Assistance

Labor relations staff will review and analyze your districts salary guides to identify potential problems (e.g., high cost of increments, balloons and other aberrations) and to help the board identify its bargaining goals for successor guides. Strategies and advice for dealing with salary guide problems are provided. Membership services include an analysis of the districts expiring guide and one set of proposed guides. Assistance in analyzing additional proposals and in constructing salary guides is available for a fee.

Job Actions and Strikes

NJSBA assists boards who are anticipating or experiencing job actions or strikes. Assistance may include helping the board understand its legal rights and obligations in dealing with work slowdowns or stoppages; helping the board develop effective strategies for responding to job actions; and providing sample contingency plans, pleadings and policies.

List of Professional Negotiators

School boards can request information and a list of professional negotiators who are experienced in school district negotiations. Contact Us.

Negotiations Data

The Department collects negotiations settlement information and analyzes teacher collective bargaining agreements. Members can access an extensive array of information on-line, such as: teacher settlement rates; board achievements in negotiations; health insurance provisions; leaves of absence; salary guides; and selected contract provisions. (To access this data, click on Current Negotiations Data.) Contact us.