Union negotiations begin as potential layoffs loom

MIDDLEBORO -- Negotiations will  begin this week with the town’s unions to prepare for potential layoffs, Interim Town Manager Joseph Perkins told select board members at their April 6 meeting.

These sessions, known as impact bargaining, will follow a process dictated by state labor laws, Perkins said.

The process begins with the unions being notified of potential layoffs, he said.

 Unions then meet to develop a counterproposal or possible concessions, he said.  A follow-up meeting between town and union representatives will determine how the town will move forward, he said.

The sessions are being scheduled in light of a potential $3.3 million budget shortfall, which Perkins has said will require layoffs. He stressed again that the numbers could fluctuate as state aid figures come in during April and May.

Perkins said he hoped for a collaborative effort in determining potential cuts but “we didn’t foresee labor laws’’ and how they related to the process.

Town counsel and the human resources department will be involved in the effort, he said.

This needs to be done “the proper way,’’ he said. “We don’t want the unions to file an unfair labor practice’’ complaint, he said.

The union negotiation process begins this week, Perkins told the board.

In light of the timeframe involved, board members agreed to set June 1 as the date for Town Meeting.

In other news, Teresa Farley was selected as the board chair. Thomas White was chosen as vice chair.

Farley said she appreciates the board and residents’ confidence in her and hopes to bring people “together as a town’’ and work toward a strong Town Meeting.

She thanked Mark Germain, who served as chair prior to being defeated in the April 4 election, for his service.