European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - July 17, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                July 1985 the stars and stripes Page 3 school pact has something for everyone but Dodds challenges several rulings by arbitrator by Clint Swift Washington Bureau chief Washington both sides have found some Consolation in a new three year contract Between the department of defense dependents schools and the overseas education but some decisions by the arbitrator have been appealed by the contract strengthens leave and Transfer rights for teachers in the Atlantic and Pacific re said Jack the sea chief Dodds negotiator Paul Wolfe said it contains an improved cooperation article on resolving differences informally at the lowest and Stream lined grievance procedures that should make it easier for teachers and managers to work Dodds director Beth Stephens said the school system does not View the contract in terms of issues won or whats important to us is that its some thing we can she the signed in late june after a month of also increases the number of issues teach ers can Challenge through and requires the school system to negotiate with the sea in matters involving key working conditions before changes Are Rollins the contract is being reviewed by the defense department for possible conflicts with Federal Law or Dodds has challenged several of the arbitrators issued april including one that would give Union representatives at the largest schools one instruction free period a Day for Union certain provisions of the agreement affect rights reserved to management and Are exempt from negotiation under Federal a Dodds statement those matters have been appealed to the Federal labor relations Dodds said in its Appeal that the official time for Union business would be disruptive to classes and that requiring it would take away managements right to determine How Many employees it should hire and what jobs they should the old contract ran out in March bargaining had begun in the summer of 1979 but was delayed by an election Challenge to the that required teachers in each Region to vote for the organization provisions of the agreement affect rights reserved to management and Are exempt from negotiation under Federal Law they wanted to represent them in the sea won in the Atlantic and Pacific regions and represents about of the systems classroom the overseas federation of teachers won in the Mediterranean and the Panama canal federation of teachers won in the bargaining that led to the present contract has been under Way since the sea went to the bargaining table with 92 articles and 500 provisions to the contract deals with about 60 percent of the Rollins the proposals quickly fell into three Rollins some items were dropped by the Union to encourage the school system to he Dodds maintained that Many of the rest were nonnegotiable prerogatives of Rollins those including some that Dodds negotiated in the last also Are before the Federal labor relations authority for a decision on whether they Are those he involve issues such As the nature of the duty Day the number of working hours and teachers pay whether teachers May negotiate compensation for extracurricular work such As dormitory summer overseas allowances costo living adjust housing whether state department standards May legitimately be applied government housing teachers rights to government hous what allocation procedures and restrictions prop Erly transportation teachers rights to space Avail Able to emergency leave travel on government aircraft and similar issues that now Are decided by the services individually and that vary in different parts of the a provision of the agreement states if the fed eral labor relations authority decides the issues must be they will become part of the contract when the two sides reach agreement on if the issues Are found the two sides still could find themselves at an impasse Over the issues and need to Call on an arbitrator the issues that didst fall into one of those two categories Are the ones in the new Rollins said nearly every one of those went to arbitration after the two sides found that about the Only thing they could agree on by themselves was the pre the preamble contains such items As what the parties will Call themselves in the to the key contract issues were Washington Here Are some contract items that Paul chief of Dodds management employee relations said were important to Dodds cooperation article 4 creates a process of consultations Between the Prin Cipal and the Union representative at the school level As a Way of trying to resolve problems that Means fewer people Are no minutes need to be and theres no automatic referral to the regional level if the matter is not re he it should make both sides work harder to resolve grievances a new step in the grievance procedure provides for a period in which teacher and principal should try to resolve a problem informal the teacher has a week to notify the principal of the and the Princi pal has five Days to set up a meeting to Deal with arbitration a new clause stipulates that arbitration May be invoked Only one party submits a Federal mediation and conciliation service form to the other and that must be done within 60 Days of the time the Case file is received at Union head five Days after receipt of the the Case must be referred to the mediation so it can begin the process of providing an the new agreement should mean no big backlog of arbitration Wolfe extracurricular activities under the new Dodds will try to follow the preferences of teachers in filling extra duties such As supervising the school yearbook or advising the drama after it will seek if there Are no principals May require teachers to accept extracurricular pay Levels under the old some teachers who wanted to step up from the masters degree to the masters plus 30 classroom hours pay Lane were Given credit for courses such As Auto tuneup at a Community College or real estate the new contract restricts credit to graduate classes and retains the provi Sion that the study must improve teach ing ability or Lead to advancement in another discipline generally recognized As educationally discipline the new contract tries to clarify problems by distinguishing Between performance based and misconduct grounds for disciplinary actions against performance Means such concerns As inefficiency or inability to do the misconduct includes in subordination and similar the contract also seeks to streamline the processing of disciplinary actions by providing for a one step letter of repro the new contract permits the Princi pal to Issue the letter of reprimand and allows the employee to Challenge it through the grievance to Fife these were fhe primary Points Washington Here Are some issues Jack the president of the overseas education said were important to teachers Impact bargaining with the new con Dodds administrators Are required to negotiate Over the Impact of changes in working conditions before implementing the Dodds still As it How Many math classes it needs and How Many Rollins but we can negotiate Over their hours and a Dodds spokesman said in while Dodds currently does and will continue to consider the input of parents and other members of the Community in deciding the most effective method to manage resources and to educate Dodds believes those decisions should not be made in the Labo management a memorandum of understanding Between the Par ties makes the school year Calendar an item for bar gaining at the regional except when events com Mon to schools throughout Dodds Are said a Dodds spokesman said while the Impact of such decisions on teacher working conditions is bar the underlying decision when the school Day begins and ends and what duties teachers shall perform is reserved to school calendars Are within the substantive determination of transfers under the new teach ers can Transfer anywhere within the three regions represented by the there Are Only minor changes in the Transfer except that Dodds will announce projected Transfer possibilities instead of Only actual grievances an enlarged grievance proce Dure will allow the Union to act for when a hardship is caused by an action of the under the old teachers could not file a grievance if the army ordered teachers out of base housing needed for Rollins under the new the sea could file a grievance seeking re assignment for a teacher or compensation from we could seek Relief that Dodds could Grant As a result of the military he he noted that the right to file a grievance Means the right to put the matter before an provisions for administrative excused absences and leave without pay were strength Rollins the old contract said management May give teachers time off for military required such As being Home when packers the new contract says management shall give such time new provisions for paternity and adoption leave also Are training the new contract states that teachers required to obtain College credit for certification or re certification will be Given priority consideration for i service and other training for which they could receive College