As you may have heard, the state is struggling to deliver a school aid budget by its statutorily required deadline of July 1. More disconcerting is the total lack of ballpark figures. However, even though this absence of budget numbers poses a significant problem for school districts working to adopt local budgets, it can create an opportunity to do a deeper dive into some of the contract language you have in your collective bargaining agreements.

If you are at, planning to be at, or even considering being at the bargaining table this summer, you have a window of opportunity to take a look at some of the non-financial terms and conditions in your contract and do some housekeeping. A review of the language can turn up some interesting things. Some examples that you may find include language that makes reference to laws that no longer exist, conflicting terms in different sections, or even dated language that no longer applies to anyone in the district and never will again.

Another area of your contracts that bears thinking about is how your current agreements on sick leave will need to be amended after they expire, to comply with the new Michigan Earned Sick Time Act, which has taken effect. While current contracts are exempt from compliance, it makes sense to understand what your current processes are, how they will be affected by the change in the law, and what language gaps and vagaries need to be addressed to ensure your language is complete and clear.

MASB’s legal department is ready to help you with contract review services and language recommendations. If you have questions on this or any other labor or legal matter, please contact us.