This is the second San Diego Unified Negotiations Update, which provides concise, factual information about what is happening during our bargaining sessions with SDEA. Our goal is to send or post timely updates on the Negotiations Update website after each bargaining session.

The second negotiations session with SDEA was held Monday, September 29. The following is a summary of the topics and issues discussed.

Progress on Ground Rules
The district presented a second written proposal on ground rules, which set parameters for conducting negotiations in an organized, respectful and business-like manner. The goal is to keep negotiations focused on issues rather than politics and the past, and to encourage issue-related discussions without disparaging comments directed at individuals.

Progress was made on establishing the ground rules; however SDEA continues to resist some basic district proposals, including:

• Treatment of all parties with dignity and respect;
• Joint development of a roadmap to address and resolve the scores of articles and issues raised by SDEA; and
• An agreement to prepare an agenda or list of articles/subjects (before the close of each bargaining session) to be covered at the next session.

“Open Bargaining”
In its ground rules counter proposal, SDEA proposed “Open Bargaining . . . specifics to be defined.” The parties discussed SDEA’s proposal at the second session. SDEA has described the proposal as allowing an undefined number of additional SDEA members to attend bargaining sessions. These individuals might observe, provide feedback to the SDEA team and/or allow SDEA to demonstrate accountability to its members. These individuals would not be SDEA team members and are unlikely to speak or otherwise participate during the session.

The district team expressed concern as to whether the real purpose of the proposal was to promote “open bargaining” or something else. The district team emphasized that there are other ways to promote SDEA accountability and transparency, including the possibility of filming, videotaping and then broadcasting negotiations sessions. All sessions would be held at the Education Center and costs would be shared by the district and SDEA.

SDEA agreed that this suggestion was worthy of further investigation. In response, the district offered to investigate the costs.

SDEA Presentation of Initial Proposals
Both parties agreed to schedule dates in October and November. These next sessions will begin with SDEA’s presentation of its initial proposals.

Aside from setting these dates, SDEA was not responsive to discussing the road map or timeline ideas shared by the district team. The district team feels that a timeline will help expedite the amount of overall time negotiations will take, a benefit to both sides of the bargaining table. SDEA agreed to revisit these issues after November.

The district team continued to emphasize that several significant realities impact both parties’ ability to immediately exchange detailed written proposals:

• SDEA has reopened more than 20 articles and more than 100 separate issues;
• The 2008-09 state budget was not adopted until September 23, 2008. All SDEA and district economic proposals must be reanalyzed in light of the new state budget; and
• The upcoming November 4 Board of Education election presents the possibility of as many as three new board members as of December 2008.

The district team explained that it will not ignore these realities and that the timing for district proposals and responses to SDEA proposals will be affected by these and other important considerations.

The District Negotiations Team
On September 9, 2008, the Board of Education appointed Chief Human Resources Officer Sam Wong to lead the district bargaining team. The full team should be in place within the next two weeks. The names of the team members will first be shared with SDEA, then shared in an upcoming Negotiations Update.

Next Sessions
Both parties agreed to schedule dates in October and November. Exact dates and times will be confirmed soon.