First Class Reflection

Our first class was eye opening for me. Like a few others, I have had little to do with negotiations over the years. My first experience was as a rookie teacher… being told to wear certain colors in support of my fellow colleagues, being told why I shouldn’t cross picket lines, and all the negative stuff that comes with bargaining. As my career moved forward, I have observed more of the drama from the administrative side. So I don’t have any war stories to tell. As a result, I’m learning a great deal about the process.

What I have learned so far is that all parties (especially the district’s leadership) need to gather all the facts before even setting a date to come to the table. So many variables play into the bottom line (known variables and unknown). To begin well, both sides need to have a shared understanding of common language; example “Good faith.” In addition, all parties need to know that negotiating is a lengthy, intensive process that greatly affects all facets of the labor relations. It was interesting to review position and interest statements. This activity seemed to reference to the bigger picture of knowing the whole context of a story.

Overall, I would like to keep learning about how this process works. Despite the varied approaches, the process boils down to teamwork, shared goals, ground rules, and developing trust. My “ah-ha” moment was during the guest speaker’s scenarios. That activity demonstrated the reality of loopholes and bartering. Neat!