Greetings,

June 20, 2007

Negotiations Update! 

The MFT negotiating team has been working hard on your behalf and will continue to work through the summer. 

We began our work back in January as we formulated surveys and other member input opportunities.  With information gathered through the survey responses, special interest group presentations, e-mails, and phone calls, we have identified the union’s issues and interests for the current round of negotiations.

The negotiations team decided that it was in our collective interest to pursue an approach to negotiations known as “interest-based bargaining.”  This is a method that has its own unique set of challenges, but we feel it will be worth the effort.

A key feature of the “interest-based” approach is joint communications.  One result will be periodic newsletters (e-mails) that come from both the union and the district.  Below is the first joint communication.

Please continue to contact us with issues, concerns, and questions.  I hope you are finding time to relax during the summer.

Rob Panning-Miller

President, MFT 59

612-529-9621

e-mail: rpanning-miller@mft59.org