'Interest-based bargaining' to begin with teachers union

HUBBARD -- The board of education will open negotiations next Wednesday with its teaching staff.
Superintendent Carl Morell said Friday that the school administration, including board members, will begin negotiations with the 110-member teachers union, the Hubbard Education Association.
The current three-year HEA contract expires June 30, Morell said.
He explained that board members will participate in what is termed "interest-based bargaining."
Interest-based is designed to emphasize communications between the two sides.
Rather than each side putting proposals on the table and each side discussing them independently, all discussions are in front of each other.
Each side can hear first-hand the rationale for the other's proposals and can better respond to the other's needs.
Morell said the contract with the non-teaching staff union, the Ohio Association of Public School Employees, also expires June 30.
Morell said he wants to first settle the teachers' contract before beginning talks with OAPSE.