City Schools, Union Ask Mediation
With one major labor problem apparently solved, the Ann Arbor Board of Education dug in today to solve another. Negotiators for the school board and its building and grounds employés union yesterday requested state mediation after reaching an impasse in contract talks. Their request followed by one week a tentative settlement with the Ann Arbor Education Association which was not reached until help was provided by the State Labor Mediation Board. That settlement has not yet been ratified by the teachers or the school board. Unlike the teacher talks, however, the impasse with the building and grounds union - Local 1182 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employés, AFL-CIO - should not affect the scheduled opening of schools next month, according to Thomas W. Hill, xhief negotiators for the school board. He said he expects íhat the workers will report for work while negotiations are in mediation. Hill was doúbtful mediation would even start before next month. "This is the busiest time of year for the State Labor Medialion Board," he said, noting that more than 100 Michigan school districts have not yet settled contract talks with teachers. "I wouldn't anticípate that vI would get a mediator in unti" after Labor Day, hopefully that first week of September," Hill predicted. Hill said the impasse is primarily over economie issues. He said the union's last wage proposal was for a 45-cent per hour increase across the board. The school board's last offer, he reported, was a 13-cent across the board increase. Hill said there is also disagreement over fringe benefit improvements. Woodrow Shelton is president of Local 1182. Besides the building and grounds employés, the school board has not reached settlements with bargaining units for secretaries and cooks, according to Hill. He said school board negotiators will meet with representatives of the secretaries next Tuesday. Asked whether he thought me-j diation would bring a quick settlement to negotiations with the buildings and grounds workers, Hill replied: "We always hope so. I think there is an indication on both sides that there are áreas where movement has to! be made on both sides." I Ratification Meeting Slated For Teachers The Ann Arbor Education Association will hold a ratiEication meeting for a twoy e a r contract agreement reached Aug. 15 with the Board of Education beginning at 8 p.m. next Friday in Ann Arbor Pioneer High School Auditorium. Distribution of copies of the contract to teachers was scheduled to begin today.