Union Asks District to Replace Attorneys With Educators at Negotiation Table

After working without a contract during an extended 18-month negotiation period, the Grand Rapids Education Association is petitioning the school district to fundamentally change how collective bargaining takes place in the future.

The teachers union is asking for lawyers who currently lead negotiations for the district to be replaced by a district employee and a board member at the bargaining table. The union argues that educators, who are closest to students and understand the realities of the classroom and administration, should be the primary negotiators on both sides of the table.

Jayne Niemann, a Union High School teacher and vice president of GREA, explained the core issue.

If we were to meet with a superintendent and if there was a board person present to witness what is discussed firsthand at the bargaining table, I feel like we would move a lot more quickly. No teachers should have to wait 18 months to have a settled contract.

Niemann said she does not believe teachers should have to explain their jobs to people who are not educators. Currently, the union has a petition circulating called Our Schools. Our Contracts. Open the Bargaining Table and Keep it Open, requesting support from teachers as they ask the district to update its policy.

Contract Finally Settled in December, But Raises Came Late

The union and the district finally settled the contract in December, but the timing of the additional pay raises has been a point of contention. Niemann said teachers did not receive their additional pay raises until mid-February, which the union says is not enough to offset the cost of health care.

While it was not 18 months from the expiration of the contract, there was a year of bargaining and negotiating. Teachers did not receive their additional pay raises until mid-February, which the union said was not enough to offset the cost of health care.

Niemann added that the current process forces teachers to wait an extended period while lawyers handle negotiations, leaving educators to deal with uncertainty about their compensation and working conditions.

Proposed Changes Would Keep Lawyers at End of Process

Under the union proposal, lawyers would still be involved, but only at the end of the process to write out the legal language. The idea is that educators should lead the negotiations and understand the implications of what is being discussed, while legal experts provide support for the final documentation.

Currently, lawyers lead negotiations for the district. The union is asking for a district employee and a board member to sit at the bargaining table instead. The union believes educators should be the primary negotiators, with lawyers brought in only at the end to write out the legal language.

District Confirms It Will Review the Petition

Grand Rapids Public Schools confirmed that the union has submitted questions regarding the bargaining process. The district has not yet responded to the specific requests but indicated they are working together to reach a resolution.

We are working together on reaching a resolution. Grand Rapids Public Schools confirmed the union has submitted questions regarding the process.

The petition represents a significant shift in how the teachers union views collective bargaining in Grand Rapids Public Schools. After an extended period of negotiations that left teachers without a contract, the union is seeking structural changes to ensure that future bargaining processes are more efficient and more closely aligned with the needs of educators.

What Teachers Want From Future Negotiations

The teachers union's petition highlights several key concerns that emerged during the 18-month negotiation period:

• Extended contract delays that leave teachers uncertain about their compensation
• Lawyers leading negotiations rather than educators who understand the classroom realities
• Pay raises that arrive late and do not adequately offset health care costs
• Lack of transparency and visibility into what is being discussed at the bargaining table

Niemann believes that having a superintendent and board member witness negotiations firsthand would help ensure that the process moves more quickly and addresses the actual needs of the teaching profession.

The petition continues to circulate among teachers, who are asking the district to reconsider its approach to collective bargaining and to adopt a model that places educators at the center of the negotiation table.