home | current news stories

Negotiators Hopeful as Bargaining Begins

Union negotiators and members alike were anticipating the new round of collective bargaining with a new sense of hope.

Randy Hunneyman, SEA's chair of collective bargaining, announced during the Dec. 9 Council meeting that negotiations were scheduled to resume on Jan. 4, two days before Gov.-elect John Lynch took office.

Members of the bargaining team have been preparing for the upcoming negotiations since they were elected in August. Team members shown here are Randy Hunneyman, Diana Lacey, Cindy Sanborn, and Norm Hinton.

Word from the State House has been encouraging. Hunneyman reported that it may be possible for the SEA and state teams to reach an agreement without third-party assistance.

"That means no fact finding, no mediation," he said. "It means getting back to the real important task, which means helping to rebuild the integrity of our positions in state government."

 Bargaining Follows Politics

Member activism will remain key to our success as we make the transition from recent electoral victories to a new campaign for a contract that supports public services.

New negotiations will take place as the new governor and Legislature try to deal with an ongoing state budget crisis. Hunneyman noted that the state's self-insurance account for state employees and their families appears to be $20 million in the red.

"That's not good news for us, but it is something that we will deal with when we get to the table," he said.

The collective bargaining chair noted that the union's negotiating team has been quietly preparing for negotiations since it was elected by the Bargaining Senate in August. The team has reviewed member surveys, researched the issues, and drafted proposed language for a new contract.

As the campaign moves on, members will be asked to support the bargaining team in a variety of ways, ranging from wearing purple at work to attending lunchtime meetings.

"Sometimes it's the smallest little things that the supervisors and the commissioners and directors remember," he said. "It transfers up the chain of command. Your activity in the workplace will show."

Watch this Web site, the SEA News, and bargaining bulletins for the latest news as negotiations begin in early January.