As mentioned in yesterday’s post concerning the collective bargaining process currently underway between the Bridgewater-Raritan Education Association and the Bridgewater-Raritan Board of Education, there are at least two key public policy issues at stake.
The first is the question of public disclosure concerning collective bargaining negotiation sessions, while the second is the matter of the timing and frequency of that disclosure.
On March 8, at a sparsely attended work session of the Board at the John F. Kennedy School in Raritan, Board President Jeffrey Brookner, upon questioning, explained that there is no legal requirement preventing the Board from disclosing results of joint labor negotiation sessions between it and the BREA.
However, he went on to say that the current practice of not disclosing specific results of collective bargaining discussions was a matter of “tradition,” not one required under New Jersey law. Conversely, he also underscored that there is “no requirement to divulge” the contents of such discussions.
As a result, disclosure becomes an optional practice that is a choice of the Bridgewater-Raritan Board of education and, by the same token, of the BREA.
The last negotiation session between the teams of the BREA and the B-R BOE took place on the afternoon of March 21st, 2011. The next one is scheduled for April 11th.
On the evening of March 22nd, after the conclusion of the School Board meeting at the Wade Administration Building where the final $129.5 million budget was unanimously approved, I was fortunate to speak separately to representatives of the BREA and of the B-R BOE collective bargaining teams. They responded to questions, offering their current views on the collective bargaining process.
The outcome of those contacts will appear in subsequent blog posts.
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