| ARTICLE III - NEGOTIATIONS |
| A. | Inauguration of Negotiations | |
| 1. | Either the Board or the Association may
inaugurate negotiations by giving written notice to the other on or before
January 31 of the school year during which the agreement expires.
Said notice shall be deemed to have been given when given in
writing and delivered by certified mail or hand delivered from the
Superintendent to the Association President or from the Association
President to the Superintendent. |
| 2 | By February 15th, the parties shall
exchange proposals. The
proposals shall be limited to Article 15 and Article 17, and eight (8)
other items of their choosing. This
exchange shall occur at a mutually agreed time and place.
By March 1st, the initial bargaining session shall take
place. |
| 3 | Any agreements reached shall be reduced in
writing, and if ratified by the Board and the Association, shall be signed
by the designated officers of the Board and the Association. |
| B. | | Negotiation Ground Rules |
| 1 | Negotiation teams shall be limited to five members. Consultants may be used by either party. |
| 2 | The time and place of all negotiation sessions must be mutually agreed to by both parties. |
| 3 | Each negotiation’s team upon request shall, as soon as is practicable, make available to the other team specific items of public information in their possession pertinent to the negotiations process. The cost of duplicating requested material shall be borne by the requesting party at the rate of twenty-five cents ($0.25) per sheet. |
| 4 | In the course of each session, any tentatively agreed to items shall be described, dated, and initialed by the spokesperson from each team. |
| 5 | The District will allow a maximum of twenty-five (25) person work days leave with pay for the combined Association negotiating team. This total leave with pay is for members of the negotiating team to attend table negotiations contingent upon the condition that if no agreement is reached during the school year the Association commits itself to be available for negotiations during the summer. |
| 6 | Any agreement reached through the aforementioned procedure shall be reduced to writing, and if ratified by the Board and the Association, shall be signed by the properly designed officers of the Board and of the Association. Both parties shall ratify or reject the agreement within ninety (90) days of the conclusion of negotiations. |
| 7 | In the event that negotiations occur during the term of this agreement that alter a portion or portions of the Agreement to be effective prior to its expiration date, such amendments shall become a part of the Agreement. |
| 8 | The District and the Association shall, upon request, provide each with copies of any transcripts or written minutes, formal or informal, of the negotiating sessions which may be used by either party to augment testimony as to the intent or meaning of the provision of this Negotiated Agreement. This does not require either party to present the other party with notes prepared for internal use in the development of the party's strategy. Acceptance of possession of such minutes and/or transcripts does not obligate either party to accept their accuracy. |
| C. | | Impasse Resolution |
| 1 | Impasse resolution shall occur as provided in Alaska Statutes. |
| 2 | The expenses and fees of any mediator or advisory arbitrator shall be borne equally by the parties, unless borne by the State or agency conducting such service. The advisory arbitrator may be chosen by mutual agreement of the parties. If no mutually agreeable arbitrator is chosen, the procedures of the American Arbitration Association shall be used. |