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School Committee moves into executive session to discuss paraprofessionals’ collective bargaining and grievances
Summary
On Sept. 29 the School Committee voted in a roll-call to enter executive session to discuss collective bargaining and grievances involving paraprofessional employees; the committee cited state open-meeting law and did not disclose details publicly.
The School Committee voted on Sept. 29 to enter executive session to discuss collective bargaining and grievances involving paraprofessional employees.
Why it matters: collective bargaining negotiations and grievance discussions are commonly held in executive session when disclosure could harm the school district’s bargaining position. The committee cited state open-meeting law as the basis for the closed session.
Committee staff read the statutory basis for the executive session before the vote. Staff member Perni Assad said the session was convened under a state open-meeting provision “with respect to collective bargaining agreement including giving grievances to all paraprofessional employees of the school system, representative of the ... federation of paraprofessionals,” and recommended the committee enter executive session to protect bargaining positions. The committee then moved, seconded and held a roll-call vote.
Roll-call votes recorded in the transcript show affirmative votes from Mr. Agnew, Colin Dias and Miss Larabee; several other members were marked present during the roll call. The transcript does not record the name of the member who made the motion or who seconded it, nor does it include detail of what will be discussed inside the executive session. After the executive session vote, the committee moved to adjourn, and the roll call for adjournment recorded yes votes from Mr. Agnew, Colin Dias and Miss Larabee.
No substantive bargaining materials, terms or grievance specifics were disclosed in open session. The committee did not announce a date for reconvening in public for any action that might follow the executive session.
Ending: The committee moved into executive session under the stated statutory exception for collective bargaining and then adjourned; no public details about the bargaining positions or grievances were released at the Sept. 29 meeting.
