HCS, HEA begin contract negotiations

    HARLAN – Recent legislative changes to Iowa Code regarding collective bargaining are on center stage as the Harlan Community Schools Board of Education and Harlan Education Association begin contract negotiations this week.
    Both provided their initial proposals Wednesday, March 8, highlighted by a package proposal by the school board that strips and deletes provisions of many excluded subjects of bargaining from the employee collective bargaining agreement including such items as insurance, supplemental pay, procedures for staff reduction and evaluation and transfer procedures, to name a few.
    The two sides will now head into exempt session to negotiate.  Due to the recent changes to Iowa law, all that can be negotiated is wages, but HEA members are hoping that in the spirit of past cooperation, not everything will be off the table in discussions, despite the board’s proposal to delete certain bargaining item provisions from the master agreement.