Grievance decision announced

PLAINS – The School Board of Trustees in Plains met to deliver their decision on a grievance hearing they heard earlier in the month.

After a very brief discussion that lasted less than five minutes, the board motioned to deny the grievance filed by former English and Spanish teacher Melissa Martin. The board did so unanimously.

According to Superintendent Thom Chisholm the board felt that under Montana Code Annotated the right to nonrenewal of a nontenured teacher was the action the board had taken.

In a meeting on Thursday, July 17, the board listened to a grievance field by Martin under the representation of Heather Diehl, a field consultant for MEA-MFT.

According to Diehl, Martin believed she was being terminated due to budgetary restraints the Plains School District is facing for the 2014-15 school year.

Diehl stated the teacher was terminated unlawfully and said the board needed to comply with the reduction in force and recall provisions of the agreement. Her hope was for Martin to retain her employment as a teacher within the district.

The board’s decision stated they had acted on an action separate of what Diehl mentioned, and had acted on nonrenewal of a nontenured teacher without cause.

According to the Plains Teachers Organization contract, if the PTO finds the board’s answer not acceptable, “the matter may be referred by the PTO to final and binding arbitration.”

In order to do so, the PTO would need to notify the board of its intent to submit the grievance to arbitration within ten working days. From there, a request would need to be submitted to the Montana Board of Personnel Appeals for a list of qualified arbitrators, where the wheels would be set in motion to determine a decision on the grievance.

Time still remains to submit an appeal, however, no notice has been given on whether that is in the works.

Heather Diehl did not return phone calls.