Contract negotiations between the UW-Madison Teaching Assistants' Association and the Wisconsin Office of State Employee Relations were stymied again Friday when state representatives rejected the TAA's request for an independent mediator.
According to Danielle LeClair, the TAA's chief negotiator, union members felt an independent mediator would help bridge the gap between the two groups in hopes an acceptable contract agreement could be reached.
\We want to get the contract settled and we thought [working with a mediator] would be a productive way of doing it,"" she said.
According to LeClair, the state has rejected all of the offers the TAA has put on the bargaining table, moving the union to seek outside assistance.
""We at the TAA are very committed to securing a good contract,"" she said. ""And we thought 'well, if we're stuck and maybe need a little help and they're stuck and need a little help, why not mediation?'""
The state's rejection of the TAA's mediation request points to a lack of interest in settling the pending contract, LeClair said.
""We feel that by [the state's] refusing mediation that they're being obstructionist and they don't seem to be as concerned as we are about ... settling a fair contract for both of our sides,"" she said.
However, according to OSER Director Karen Timberlake, the state still wishes to continue negotiating with the TAA without the assistance of a third party.
""From our perspective, there is still quite a bit to talk about with the TAA,"" she said, ""and so we don't feel that it's time to give up on negotiations which calling in a mediator at this point would seem, to us, to be.""
Timberlake pointed to Gov. Jim Doyle's efforts to improve state employee compensation as one of the issues the sides have yet to hash out.
""[Gov. Doyle] recognizes that state employees were part of the solution to the last biennium's budget problems and so he believes they should share in the state's improving fiscal situation,"" she said. ""There's more money to talk about now.""
Nevertheless, as the June 30 expiration date on the 2003-'05 contract draws nearer, TAA members say they are ready to see the issue resolved.
""We're ready to put this contract to bed,"" said TAA Vice President of Bargaining Burt Johnson in a TAA release.
