Ironton school administrators and union officials want to solve potential unfair labor practice issues before any official charges are filed.

Thursday, June 15, 2000

Ironton school administrators and union officials want to solve potential unfair labor practice issues before any official charges are filed.

The Ironton Education Association announced its intention during a negotiating session Monday to file a charge if an undisclosed issue was not resolved. The union is currently negotiating a contract with the board.

The union has yet to determine whether to file a charge.

Superintendent Steve Kingery said he could not discuss details of the specific issue at question.

"It is neither side’s intentions to sway the negotiations through the media," Kingery said.

The IEA can file an unfair labor practice charge if it feels there has been a violation, but administrators and the union have a relationship where they discuss such matters before official action, he said.

"This past year we’ve fortunately been able to resolve any disagreement we’ve had," Kingery said. "But sometimes there is an honest disagreement where you have to rely upon others."

The State Employee Relations Board, which would investigate any formal labor charge, is designed to handle that situation, he added.

Board members have been notified of the union’s intention but total contract negotiations have not been affected, Kingery said.

IEA president Mary Ann Philabaun also said she could not disclose details of the issue but said no money issues have been discussed yet in negotiations.

Mrs. Philabaun agreed that both parties will seek a resolution to the issue.

Once SERB enters the picture, it would take about three to four months to have a hearing on the particular issue, Mrs. Philabaun said.

"We’re hoping to work it out before that," she said,

And any charge will not become a threat to continuing contract negotiations, Mrs. Philabaun said.

In fact, Monday’s negotiations continued for hours after the union announced its intention, she said.

"We’re continuing to negotiate on everything," Mrs. Philabaun said. "We’ve just notified them of our intentions to file if they don’t change their position on some of the things they’re telling us."

The filing is a definite possibility, she added.

"But are we going to walk out over this? No."

The next contract negotiation session is scheduled for Tuesday, June 27, Mrs. Philabaun said.

The unfair labor practice issue could concern the recent issue of rehiring retired coaches Bob Lutz and Mike Burcham to the supplemental contracts they held last school year and creating three new athletic positions – although neither the administration or union would confirm that possibility.

The board took action last week. The union stated it does not have a problem with rehiring the coaches to supplemental positions but has stated it was concerned with the hiring process. Union officials also have said that salaries of all positions must be negotiated.