TRAVERSE CITY -- Teachers and administrators negotiating a contract in Traverse City's public schools agreed to continue discussing district finances to settle differences in the way both sides interpret the numbers.
Bargaining teams from the district and the 640-member Traverse City Education Association will meet July 15 to resume financial talks, organized in part at the urging of school board members last month.
Both sides met for more than three hours June 29, the first session since May 19. A one-year deal expired Aug. 31, 2008.
The meetings are an attempt to reach consensus on budget details, including costs and savings, as they relate to the contract.
Neither side presented a bargaining proposal during the meeting, nor are they expected to July 15.
"We had a lot of frank discussion," said Don Hakala, Michigan Education Association UniServ director and the teachers' chief negotiator. "We have retirees this year, we have layoffs this year and we wanted to be sure we factored all those in."
Union President John Scrudato is out of town this week and could not be reached for comment.
All issues discussed Monday were resolved, said Christine Davis, the district's executive director of human resources. The second session was scheduled because of time constraints.
"It helps to make settlements when you agree on the facts going into the settlements," Davis said.
Superintendent James Feil attended, his first meeting since negotiations began a year ago. Board members Marjie Rich and Gary Appel also attended, the first time any elected leaders did so during this round of talks.
Both Rich and Appel said their presence was intended to show both teams how highly the board values continued discussions.
Appel said observing that session, even absent any new proposals, was "a fascinating process."
"(I) began to understand the give and take and, really, the complexity of these kinds of negotiations," he said.
Bargaining will enter mediation Aug. 25 at the union's request, after the district did not counter the union's May proposal.
Feil last month publicly released details about negotiations, some of which teachers contend are erroneous. In response, the union is filing an unfair labor practice complaint against the district.
Eighteen teachers will be laid off this fall because fewer employees than usual chose to retire.
