*** UPDATE JULY 14, 2014 ***

Both sides are working extremely hard to get the final approvals on our contract.  At this time we are still hopeful that we will be able to get the contract to the RESCHEDULED JULY 28th Board Meeting.  We will post updated information on the website as it becomes available.

On Friday, May 16, the Company and Union met before Kim D. Moore-Ward, the mediator designated by PERB, to hear our contract impasse.  After meeting with both sides separately, the mediator issued her recommendations in the dispute.  The Company argued that if TWU Local 100 ratifies their agreement on May 19th this will drastically change the negotiating landscape.  We pointed out that the contract impasse we filed was for the previous rounds of negotiation, so Local 100's current contract should have nothing to do with our impasse and that we see this as another delay tactic by the Company,  We insisted that if the mediator orders us back to the table there should be strict time limits imposed on the Company to reach an agreement on the contract.  With that, the mediator recommended that the parties report back to her in thirty days to update her on our progress in reaching an agreement.  If the parties are making progress, she will allow an additional thirty days for us to reach an agreement.  If at any time during the additional thirty day period we believe we are not going to reach an agreement on the contract, we will contact the mediator and insist that mediation be reconvened immediately.

Local 100 did ratify their agreement earlier today, and we are now in the process of scheduling meetings with the Company.  I would also like to have a Unit meeting within the next few weeks to update everyone on our progress.