The Board of Education encourages employees to offer suggested improvements in the working conditions of District employees. Employee groups may propose suggested policies, rules and procedures regarding salaries or other conditions of employment. The Board of Education, through its representatives, will meet and confer with appropriate employee representatives to discuss such proposals. The Board shall retain all powers, duties and rights provided to it established by constitutional provisions, statutes, state regulations, and board of education policies without limitation. The Board specifically retains the right to refuse any and all proposals submitted by employee groups.

Certified Representatives of Employees - Representatives of the Board will meet and confer with the employees' exclusive bargaining representative certified by the Missouri State Board of Mediation.

Uncertified Representatives of Employees - If a group of employees is not represented by a certified bargaining representative, the District may recognize an appropriate representative or representatives for that group of employees if the organization seeking representative status can affirmatively demonstrate through a verified petition that it has support of at least thirty (30) percent of the employees in the unit claimed to be appropriate. Professional employees may not be represented by the same bargaining representative as nonprofessional employees unless a majority of the professional employees vote for such representation.

Representatives of the Board - The Board of Education's bargaining representative or representatives shall be the Superintendent or the Superintendent's designee or designees.

Meet and Confer Process

1. The bargaining representative of the employee group must present its proposals relative to salaries, benefits and other conditions of employment to the Board's representative in writing. The representatives of the Board may also submit proposals for discussion.


2. The Board's bargaining representative will then meet, confer and discuss such proposals with the bargaining representative.


3. Upon completion of the discussions, the Board's representative will reduce the results of the discussion to writing and present the results of the discussion to the Board of Education in the form of a resolution for adoption, modification or rejection by the Board. The Board's representative shall have the power to determine when the discussions are completed.


4. If the employee organization objects to the resolution prepared by the Board's representative, it may propose an alternative resolution in writing to the Board for adoption, modification or rejection by the Board.


5. Any resolution resulting from discussions with an employee group that is adopted by the Board of Education shall be adopted as a Board of Education policy and not as a separate agreement and shall expressly state that the Board reserves the right to unilaterally change the policy.

No Discrimination on Basis of Organizational Activity

Employees shall have the right to form and join labor organizations and to present proposals regarding salaries or other conditions of employment through a representative of their own choosing. No such employee shall be discharged or discriminated against because of his or her exercise of such right, nor shall any person or group of persons, directly or indirectly, by intimidation or coercion, compel or attempt to compel any such employee to join or refrain from joining a labor organization.