Article 4: Negotiations Procedures

4.1

Negotiations will be conducted at locations, times and dates that are mutually acceptable to the parties.

4.2

Negotiations will be conducted in closed sessions.

4.3

Unless otherwise agreed to by the parties the Union and the College shall each identify a maximum of seven (7) members of their respective negotiations teams prior to the commencement of negotiations.

4.4

Recesses, caucuses or study sessions may be called by either side at any time.

4.5

All tentative agreements shall be reduced to writing by the parties and initialed by their respective chief negotiators. Tentative agreements shall remain tentative until the entire agreement is agreed to by the parties and ratified in accordance with the procedures identified by each of the parties. Tentative agreements are conditional and may be withdrawn should subsequent discussions change either team's understanding of the language as it relates to another part of the agreement.

4.6

Each negotiation team shall be authorized to bargain in good faith and initial tentative agreements. Final agreement on a collective bargaining agreement shall be reached when each side obtains ratification of the proposed agreement from its respective constituencies.

4.7

Because negotiations are conducted in closed sessions this provision prohibits the public airing of any issues or the progress in the negotiations. This includes, no press releases regarding progress on negotiations shall be made without the mutual consent of the parties. The parties reserve the right to communicate with their constituencies in a manner consistent with preserving the confidential nature of the negotiations. The parties agree that details of proposals may be reviewed with each party's respective executive decision makers and that these details will remain confidential to the larger constituencies. Communications with the larger constituencies shall be limited to general identification of the issues under discussion. In the event of an impasse, the parties will confer regarding press releases until the fact-finder has issued a decision.

4.8

Either party may initiate negotiations for a successor agreement by providing the opposite party written notice of its intent to commence negotiations no sooner than one-hundred and twenty (120) calendar  days or later than thirty (30)  calendar days prior to the expiration of this Agreement. The parties will accelerate the scheduling of negotiations in order to maximize their ability to conclude negotiations by the expiration date of the contract.

4.9

Additional negotiations procedures and ground rules may be negotiated by the parties at the commencement of negotiations.

4.10

In the event an impasse has been declared and fact-finding has been requested, upon conclusion of the fact-finding hearing, the fact-finder shall recommend only the last best final offer of one the parties as presented at the final mediation session.  The fact-finder shall present his/her recommendations and report to the parties.  Upon receipt of the fact-finders report and recommendations, the parties will meet within 10 days.