Negotiators review draft master agreement; grievance, bereavement and emergency-closure language updated

Negotiators for the Minidoka County Joint District and the Minidoka County Education Association (MCEA) met on day two of bargaining to review a drafted collective bargaining agreement that incorporates updated district policies, including grievance procedures, bereavement leave, and emergency-closure rules.

Bobby Ryan, identified in the session as a representative of certified staff, told negotiators the master agreement "is not just a guideline," adding it is "the controlling document that governs the working conditions, benefits, and professional expectations for the certified staff." Ryan said the proposed updates aim to preserve the original intent of provisions such as bereavement leave while aligning language to current district practice.

Carrie Tibbets, who presented the marked-up document, said she placed statutory text directly into the draft for clarity. "Anything in red is what I have changed," Tibbets said. On the grievance procedure she said, "It's Idaho code... I just copied the code and put it in." She also said the draft was edited to reflect a required Title IX provision: "If the complaint alleges a violation of title 9, I had to add that."

Negotiators discussed bereavement leave language that would preserve a full week of leave "based on the current work calendar moving from 5 days to 4 days," language that negotiators described as preserving intent while matching the district calendar. The revised bereavement language also extends paid leave to employees who serve meaningful roles in funeral services (for example, giving a eulogy or performing music) and adds a clause allowing supervisors to request documentation. Negotiators agreed to a clearer, more flexible proof standard: "evidence of proof should be discussed with supervisor," a line added during the meeting.

On emergency closures, the draft removes prior references to off-site or remote learning. "We did change this year because it still had in it off-site learning... so we took that stuff out," Tibbets said, adding that certified staff "really never had to come in" on those days and that the superintendent retains discretion about which classified employees may be paid without using leave for closure days.

Other policy text inserted into the draft included the sick-leave accrual text (with a portability clause for new employees who were employed by another district in the prior year), the clarified distinction between unpaid leave of absence and leave without pay, and a fuller Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) procedure instructing employees to contact HR and to use paid leave first.

Negotiators signaled broad agreement on the edited language; the draft will be reformatted and circulated as a PDF for final review and ratification steps. The group gave the draft a collective "thumbs up" at the meeting and agreed to send the formatted document to participants for finalization.