GRAY – The Maine Education Association, on behalf of the Gray-New Gloucester Educational Support Staff Association, filed a prohibited practice complaint with the Maine Labor Relations Board Tuesday.

The complaint cited a number of charges against the SAD 15 board and its agents, also naming Superintendent Michael Wood and Brian McDonnell, director of finance and operations.

Among the violations cited by the association are allegations that the district failed to participate in good faith in the collective bargaining process; failed to participate in good faith in the mediation process; and interfered with, restrained or coerced an employee in the exercise of protected union activity.

A protracted contract dispute between the school board and SAD 15’s support staff of bus drivers, custodians, secretaries and educational technicians, and food service workers began nearly two years ago when a collective bargaining agreement between the association and board expired June 30, 2001.

The dispute centers on health care coverage premiums and salaries for roughly 130 workers.

Despite a fact-finding report issued by the Maine Board of Arbitration and Conciliation last May, recommendations to resolve the lengthy dispute have not succeeded.

“It’s totally demoralizing for people,” said Margaret Litrocapes, a SAD 15 custodian and president of the association. “We have been attempting to negotiate a fair settlement with the district since the fall of 2000. Our contract has been expired for nearly two years. Despite a unanimous recommendation of settled terms issued by the Maine Labor Relations Board fact-finding panel last May, the district has made virtually no effort to resolve this dispute,” she said.

Jim Fotter, a Maine Education Association labor advocate, who has been representing the union in negotiations, said, “We made a good faith effort to balance our issues with the community budget concerns. Our efforts have been met with threats by the superintendent to implement the board’s last offer, regressive proposals offered at the negotiations table, refusal to release information and attempts by the district to intimidate employees who have participated in legal union activities.”

Brian McDonnell, director of finance and operations for SAD 15, is named in the complaint.

“It’s a surprise to me,” he said by telephone. “We hope to meet in a week or two to work out negotiations. I’m disappointed they did this,” he said.

Superintendent Michael Wood was not available for comment.

“This place is not a happy place right now,” Litrocapes said.

Fotter said the last time parties participated together in negotiations was during the fall of 2002. No joint meetings have been held since.

On Nov. 26 the school board proceeded to file for interest arbitration and await information expected by late May.

The Maine Labor Relations Board appointed mediator John Alfano, who made additional efforts to resolve the contract dispute from February through March 2003. The complaint alleges that proposals brought to the association through the mediator concerning health insurance were regressive to earlier proposals offered by the board.

Superintendent Wood in December said that interest arbitration is binding.

However, Fotter said wages and health insurance disputes are not subject to binding arbitration and would not result in a settled contract.

The complaint alleges that Wood said, “We need to go through the interest arbitration process before we can implement our last best offer.”

In the complaint, Fotter’s request last March for information relevant to the negotiations has not been granted.

In late March an employee was given “friendly advice” and warned by a building principal to be careful about making statements concerning the status of negotiations at school board meetings, according to the complaint.