Introducing the 2025 Summer Institute: Collective Bargaining Bootcamp
Collective bargaining has led the news recently in too many Massachusetts school districts. Increasingly, negotiations have ranged from difficult to downright contentious and often disintegrated from there. A growing number of communities have been subjected to days-long strike action, leaving students and families anxious, confused, and often, without recourse. If the prospect of upcoming negotiations in your district is adding layers to your stress level, it’s time to step back, settle down, and hear from experts and those who have been through it at MASC’s Collective Bargaining Bootcamp.
What to Expect
This one-day immersive, interactive program will prepare you for negotiations, and the challenges you may encounter. In this Collective Bargaining 201 session, presenters will review the legal framework, timeline and process of bargaining, and setting ground rules for the discussions. Participants will learn about gathering and using comparative data, setting goals and priorities, building your bargaining team, and working effectively with your superintendent and counsel. Presenters will also focus on navigating difficult conversations and tough proposals: when to push back and how; managing public pressure and messaging; mediation and fact finding; and recent hot button issues (remote work, staffing levels, DEI language). The day will also include a mock collective bargaining session followed by a debrief and guidance on moving forward post settlement, including strategies for rebuilding a healthy relationship with staff.
Held in person at UMASS Amherst Henry M. Thomas III Center, 1500 Main St., Suite 260, Springfield MA
Sign up on our website:
https://www.masc.org/summerinstitute/
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