By Lori Ehde
A third party representative from the Minnesota Bureau of Mediation Services presided over a four-hour arbitration hearing Tuesday morning in the Luverne School District Office.
Luverne school teachers have been working without a contract since July 1, when their new two-year contract officially would have started. Negotiations between the district and teachersÕ union have been in mediation for several weeks, with no agreement in sight.
As a result, any step increments that would be approved as part of the new contract have not yet been implemented.
Teachers have since filed a grievance with the district to receive those incremental pay increases before the new contract is settled.
Step increases for all positions total roughly $85,000 for a year.
Teachers argue it's money that's rightfully theirs, because of another year of teaching. The district maintains teachers will receive those salary increases as part of the nearly-negotiated package, retroactive to July 1 once the contract is settled.
The arbitration representative heard testimony from both sides and will present her findings in three to four weeks. Both parties will be bound to her decision.
Tuesday's arbitration was scheduled to resolve this point alone.
The teacher contract as a whole remains in negotiation. It's currently in mediation and may also end up in arbitration.