To date we have held 49 negotiating sessions for a total of approximately 250 hours. The superintendent–their chief decision maker–has attended one session for a total of 45 minutes. The superintendent did not attend that session to negotiate, but rather to drop in and introduce a new member of her staff. Her spokesperson told the media last night that this was an OK practice as her surrogates had full decision making power. No, they don’t. They cannot and will not make a decision on important topics without checking with the superintendent. That adds time and delay to the process.
The superintendent’s spokesperson has implied that the superintendent has too many other responsibilities that take her time. She is busy and hardworking–we agree. But what activity can be more important right now than settling this contract?