With the school year now at the halfway point, teachers in the Nevada Joint Union High School District still don’t have a new contract. Speaking on KNCO’s “On the Town”, District Superintendent Dan Frisella said two more negotiation sessions have been scheduled after the Winter Break, or during the first two weeks of January…

click to listen to Dan Frisella

A mediator tries to find a compromise between both sides…

click to listen to Dan Frisella

Mediators lack power to make binding decisions and they’re only employed as advisers. If mediation fails, the process then may move to what’s called fact-finding. Someone analyzes the facts of the bargaining process and seeks to recognize another potential compromise. And, again, both sides are not bound by the recommendations. A third possible option would be arbitration. And, in this case, the arbitrator’ decision is binding on both parties. Contracts are usually agreed to for the next school year during the spring of the previous year.