Article 4: Collective Bargaining Procedures

4.1

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

4.2

Negotiations shall be conducted in closed sessions.

4.3

Negotiations ground rules shall be negotiated by the parties.

4.4

All agreements reached by the parties shall be initialed as tentative agreements. Such tentative agreements are conditional and may be withdrawn should later discussions change either teams understanding of the language as it relates to another part of the Agreement.

4.5

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 will 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 ma be reviewed with each party's respective executive decision makers and that these details will remain confidential to the larger constituencies. Communication 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.

4.6

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 twenty (120) calendar days and no later than thirty (30) calendar days prior to the expiration date of this Agreement.

4.7

In the event impasse has been declared and fact-finding has been requested, upon the conclusion of the fact-finding hearing, the fact finder shall recommend only the last best final total package offer of one of the parties.

4.8

The parties shall comply with all bargaining procedures contained in the Governing Board’s collective bargaining policy.