Caldwell bargaining team drafts joint request to reopen Article 3 of the master agreement

Members of the Caldwell School District interest-based bargaining team met in an informal drafting session and prepared a joint statement asking the board of trustees for a limited reopening of the district's master agreement to address Article 3.

Julie, a member of the Caldwell School District interest-based bargaining team, said the group "would like to request a limited reopening of the master 20 25 20 20 safety master agreement to address, article 3." The moderator, who led the drafting effort during the session, opened the meeting by saying, "Let's write this together," and invited others to review the text before it is finalized.

The participants described the IBB team as a collaborative group composed of both association and district members and agreed the statement should be concise and co-constructed. Julie summarized the plan: the team will prepare a joint letter to the board of trustees and present the statement at the board's upcoming meeting. At one point the group "voted with thumbs up," which participants characterized as an informal consensus on proceeding; they did not record a formal motion or board action during the session.

The meeting focused on drafting language that would (1) address Article 3 of the master agreement, (2) reflect the collaborative nature of the bargaining team, and (3) request a limited reopener rather than a full renegotiation. The moderator offered to help assemble a paragraph immediately and to remain available to assist in finalizing the letter.

This session was a preparatory meeting among bargaining team members; it did not constitute formal Board of Trustees action. The next procedural step reported by participants is presenting the co-constructed statement or joint letter to the board for consideration at the board's upcoming meeting.