Sept. 1, 2009

A joint message from the BEA and the Board of Education regarding contract negotiations
. . .
Dear Staff:

Attached and below is a joint statement from Melanie Collins, president of the Barrington Education Association, and Brian Battle, president of the Barrington 220 Board of Education, regarding the status of negotiations toward a new contract for our teachers.

On behalf of Melanie and Brian, I encourage you to read their update on these important deliberations. Early Wednesday morning, a copy of this same letter will be sent to parents and members of the community, but Melanie and Brian asked that our staff receive the information first.

A BEA and BoE Joint Statement to Staff and Community:

The teachers’ contract with the Barrington 220 School District expired at midnight on Aug. 31, 2009. Since last May, two bargaining teams – one representing members of the Barrington Education Association and one representing the Barrington 220 Board of Education and administration – have met regularly and worked diligently to reach agreement on a new contract for district educators. As of today, the new agreement is not yet complete.

Discussions since last spring have been constructive, although there are some remaining issues and positions to settle. In the meantime, Barrington 220 educators will continue to teach under terms of the 2006-2009 contract.

Contract negotiations in this challenging economy are understandably complex. To bring a positive conclusion to this process, the Barrington Education Association and the administrative/board committees are together seeking assistance from an independent, third-party mediator to help with final aspects of the agreement.

Both parties are jointly requesting assistance from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, which means they will use a proven resource at no cost to clarify final interests before reaching an agreement.

This voluntary request will provide a neutral mediator to conduct meetings and coordinate discussions in the final stage of this important endeavor. Most importantly, the assistance intends to secure an agreement in the best interest of students, staff and community stakeholders. To respect the integrity of these sensitive discussions, neither party is able to provide further information until negotiations formally conclude.

Sincerely,

Melanie Collins, President, Barrington Education Association President, Brian Battle, President, Barrington 220 Board of Education