Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Labor Relations topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
District, MEA exchange initial wage proposals; next bargaining session set for May 22
Summary
The Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District and the newly certified Middleton Education Association exchanged initial base-wage proposals and began meet-and-confer talks on supplemental pay and lane movement at a May 8 bargaining session. No agreements were reached; a follow-up meeting is scheduled for May 22.
The Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District and the Middleton Education Association (MEA) exchanged initial base-wage proposals at their first formal bargaining meeting on May 8 and opened a meet-and-confer discussion on supplemental pay and lane movement on the salary schedule.
The issue matters because teacher compensation is a major district budget item and could affect staffing, class sizes and the district’s fiscal planning for 2025–26.
Board President Bob Green said both sides “exchanged initial base wage proposals and also entered into a meeting, confer portion of the meeting to talk about supplemental pay issues, including lane movement on our salary schedule.” He added, “Nobody's accepted either person's proposal at this particular time. We're still in negotiation.”
District officials said the MEA bargaining team included nearly 20 members and that the district was represented by a team that included board members and administrators; attorney Bob Butler attended to provide historical context from prior negotiations. District leadership described the session as cordial and informative; they said the MEA’s recent certification required a more formal bargaining structure than in past years.
A follow-up bargaining session was scheduled for May 22 to continue work on base wages and confidential meet-and-confer items. The district noted ongoing uncertainty tied to broader state developments: “we don't know what's gonna happen with Act 10 and touch out the Supreme Court,” a participant said.
No formal proposals were adopted during the May 8 meeting and no board vote followed; the board said it will provide additional information as negotiations proceed.
Background: the MEA’s recent certification changes the bargaining process the district must follow and introduces a more formal schedule of meetings. The outcome of bargaining will feed into next year’s budget planning.
What’s next: negotiators return May 22. The board said it will update the public after the district has digested exchanged proposals and any counteroffers.
