State Ex Rel. B.E.A. v. District Co

• Court: Montana Supreme Court
• Decided: August 26, 1975
• Docket: 12836
• Status: Published

Opinion

No. 12836

I N T E SUPREME C U T OF THE STATE OF M N A A H OR OTN

STATE EX REL BILLINGS EDUCATION ASSOCIATION, I N C , , a n o n - p r o f i t Montana c o r p o r a t i o n ,

P l a i n t i f f and R e l a t o r ,

T E DISTRICT COURT O THE THIRTEENTH J U D I C I A L H F DISTRICT O THE STATE O M N A A i n and f o r t h e F F OTN, County of Yellowstone, and t h e HON. B , W. THOMAS, p r e s i d i n g D i s t r i c t Judge,

Defendants and Respondents.

ORIGINAL PROCEEDING:

Counsel of Record:

For R e l a t o r :

Pedersen, Herndon and Harper, B i l l i n g s , Montana Donald R. Herndon argued, B i l l i n g s , Montana

For Respondent:

Moulton, Bellingham, Longo and Mather, B i l l i n g s , Montana William Bellingham argued, B i l l i n g s , Montana

Submitted: August 19, 1974

Decided: August 26, 1974 -. ,- Filed : 3 JE i S' ',9/4 Dissent Filed: December 12, 1974 Hon. Gordon R . B e n n e t t , D i s t r i c t J u d g e , s i t t i n g i n p l a c e of Mr. J u s t i c e Frank I . Haswell, d i s s e n t i n g :

I c a n n o t concur e n t i r e l y w i t h t h e o r d e r of t h e m a j o r i t y

o r t h e r e a s o n i n g behind t h e o r d e r b e c a u s e it d e n i e s a l l e f f e c t t o

t h e " P r o f e s s i o n a l N e g o t i a t i o n s Act f o r T e a c h e r s " , s e c t i o n s 75-

6115 t h r o u g h 75-6128, Revised Codes of Montana, 1947, h e r e i n a f t e r

r e f e r r e d t o a s " t h e Act". I t must be presumed t h a t t h e L e g i s -

l a t u r e i n t e n d e d t h e Act t o make a t l e a s t some s u b s t a n t i v e changes

i n t h e e x i s t i n g law i n o r d e r t o a c c o m p l i s h t h e L e g i s l a t i v e dec-

l a r a t i o n of p o l i c y and p u r p o s e e x p r e s s e d i n s e c t i o n 75-6116, R.C.M.

1947. I n h o l d i n g t h a t t h e board of e d u c a t i o n h a s " f i n a l a u t h o r i t y " a s t o negotiations with i t s teachers t h e majority has stripped t h e

Act of i t s meaning and r e t u r n e d t h e p a r t i e s t o t h e i r former p o s i -

t i o n s a s i f t h e Act had n e v e r been p a s s e d . S t a t u t e s of t h i s s t a t e

a r e t o be c o n s t r u e d a c c o r d i n g t o t h e l e g i s l a t i v e i n t e n t . Courts

may o n l y a s c e r t a i n and d e c l a r e what i s c o n t a i n e d i n s t a t u t e s and must g i v e e f f e c t t o e v e r y p r o v i s i o n i f p o s s i b l e .

The Act e x p r e s s l y made major changes i n t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p between t e a c h e r s and t h e i r employing s c h o o l b o a r d s . For t h e f i r s t

t i m e i n t h e h i s t o r y of t h i s s t a t e , t e a c h e r s were g i v e n t h e r i g h t

t o b a r g a i n c o l l e c t i v e l y a s t o n e g o t i a b l e c o n d i t i o n s of employment

t h r o u g h r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s of t h e i r c h o i c e who f u n c t i o n a s t h e s o l e

representatives f o r a l l teachers i n the 'appropriate u n i t " . Direct

n e g o t i a t i o n s between r e p r e s e n t e d i n d i v i d u a l t e a c h e r s and t h e i r

employer a r e p r o h i b i t e d . Both t h e r e p r e s e n t a t i v e of t h e t e a c h e r s and t h e s c h o o l board have a duty t o n e g o t i a t e and b a r g a i n . The

i n t e n d e d r e s u l t of t h e n e g o t i a t i o n s i s t o a r r i v e a t a m a s t e r a g r e e - ment which must be reduced t o w r i t i n g and r a t i f i e d . A l l individual

t e a c h e r c o n t r a c t s must conform t o t h e master agreement. It i s an

u n f a i r l a b o r p r a c t i c e f o r employing b o a r d s of e d u c a t i o n t o i n t e r f e r e with, r e s t r a i n o r coerce teachers i n t h e i r r i g h t of self-organ-

i z a t i o n o r s e l e c t i o n of a r e p r e s e n t a t i v e , o r t o r e f u s e t o n e g o t i a t e

i n good f a i t h . D i s t r i c t c o u r t s of t h i s s t a t e a r e g r a n t e d j u r i s -

d i c t i o n t o e n j o i n u n f a i r l a b o r p r a c t i c e s a s defined i n t h e Act.

I cannot construe t h e foregoing provisions a s giving

b o a r d s of e d u c a t i o n " f i n a l a u t h o r i t y " . These s e c t i o n s e x p r e s s l y

g r a n t t e a c h e r s of t h i s s t a t e a d d i t i o n a l l e g a l r i g h t s n o t p r e v i o u s l y

r e c o g n i z e d by s t a t u t e and t o t h e e x t e n t g r a n t e d t h e a u t h o r i t y of b o a r d s of e d u c a t i o n i s d i m i n i s h e d .

The Act r e q u i r e s good f a i t h c o l l e c t i v e b a r g a i n i n g . Good

f a i t h b a r g a i n i n g c a n o n l y o c c u r between r e l a t i v e e q u a l s and i s

i n h e r e n t l y impossible i f e i t h e r s i d e has " f i n a l a u t h o r i t y " . The

Act d o e s n o t r e q u i r e agreement. What i s r e q u i r e d i s c o n t i n u e d

good f a i t h n e g o t i a t i o n s between t h e p a r t i e s u n t i l a m a s t e r a g r e e -

ment i s a g r e e d upon.

The r e l a t o r t e a c h e r s i n t h i s p r o c e e d i n g a r e a t t e m p t i n g t o

e n j o i n t h e s c h o o l board from i s s u i n g i n d i v i d u a l t e a c h e r c o n t r a c t s

b e f o r e a m a s t e r agreement h a s been n e g o t i a t e d and r a t i f i e d by t h e

parties. I f such i s s u a n c e of i n d i v i d u a l t e a c h e r c o n t r a c t s con-

s t i t u t e s a n u n f a i r l a b o r p r a c t i c e w i t h i n t h e meaning of s e c t i o n

75-6120, R.C.M. 1947, i t may be e n j o i n e d . This i s t h e s o l e i s s u e b e f o r e t h e Court and b o t h p a r t i e s a g r e e t h a t t h e u n r e s o l v e d i s s u e s

p r e v e n t i n g agreement a r e n o t r e l e v a n t t o t h i s q u e s t i o n . There i s

a l s o no d i s p u t e c o n c e r n i n g t h e f a c t t h a t t h e s c h o o l board i s

a t t e m p t i n g t o r e q u i r e t e a c h e r a c c e p t a n c e of i n d i v i d u a l c o n t r a c t s

w i t h i n a s p e c i f i e d p e r i o d of t i m e a t t h e p e n a l t y of f o r f e i t u r e of the teacher's position. S e c t i o n 75-6102, R.C.M. 1947, r e q u i r e s w r i t t e n i n d i v i d u a l

teacher contracts. S e c t i o n 75-6122, R.C.M. 1947, r e q u i r e s m a s t e r agreements t o be reduced t o w r i t i n g and r a t i f i e d . N statute o

d i r e c t l y p r o v i d e s t h a t e i t h e r t y p e of c o n t r a c t s h o u l d p r e c e d e t h e other. I t i s t h e d u t y of t h i s Court t o p r o v i d e a c o n s t r u c t i o n

which g i v e s b o t h p r o v i s i o n s e f f e c t , i f p o s s i b l e , c o n s i s t e n t

with t h e expressed l e g i s l a t i v e i n t e n t .

Individual c o n t r a c t s p r i o r t o r a t i f i c a t i o n of a master

agreement s e r v e no u s e f u l o r l e g i t i m a t e p u r p o s e . The o f f e r and

a c c e p t a n c e f u n c t i o n s of c o n t r a c t i n g i s now accomplished by " n o t i c e s

o f r e - e l e c t i o n " of t e n u r e t e a c h e r s p u r s u a n t t o s e c t i o n 75-6105,

R.C.M. 1947, and of n o n t e n u r e t e a c h e r s p u r s u a n t t o s e c t i o n 75-6105.1,

R.C.M. 1947. Both s e c t i o n s r e q u i r e t h e t e a c h e r t o a c c e p t t h e " r e -

e l e c t i o n " i n w r i t i n g within 2 0 days o r f o r f e i t t h e p o s i t i o n . By

r e a s o n of t h e s e s e c t i o n s s c h o o l b o a r d s a r e f u l l y a d v i s e d a s t o t h e

i d e n t i t y of e a c h t e a c h e r who a g r e e s t o t e a c h d u r i n g t h e f o r t h c o m i n g year within 2 0 days a f t e r t h e teacher has received t h e n o t i c e . The

t e r m s and c o n d i t i o n s of t h e employment a r e r e q u i r e d t o be c o n t r o l l e d

by t h e m a s t e r agreement. I n d i v i d u a l t e a c h e r c o n t r a c t s c a n n o t con-

form t o a m a s t e r agreement n o t y e t i n e x i s t e n c e . Therefore, both

s t a t u t o r y p r o v i s i o n s r e q u i r i n g i n d i v i d u a l t e a c h e r c o n t r a c t s and

m a s t e r a g r e e m e n t s a s t o t e a c h e r s r e p r e s e n t e d by a b a r g a i n i n g a g e n t ,

r e s p e c t i v e l y , a r e s a t i s f i e d by r e q u i r i n g m a s t e r agreement t o precede t h e i n d i v i d u a l c o n t r a c t s .

I a l s o d i s a g r e e w i t h t h e c o n c l u s i o n of t h e m a j o r i t y o p i n i o n

t h a t t h e r e s p o n d e n t s c h o o l board n e g o t i a t e d i n good f a i t h . Uni-

l a t e r a l l y o f f e r i n g r e p r e s e n t e d t e a c h e r s w i t h t h e o p t i o n of c o n t r a c t -

i n g i n d i v i d u a l l y w i t h r e s p e c t t o n e g o t i a b l e c o n d i t i o n s o f employ- ment o r f o r f e i t i n g t h e i r j o b d o e s n o t e v e n c o n s t i t u t e b a r g a i n i n g ,

l e t a l o n e "good f a i t h " b a r g a i n i n g . I t i s a b a r e u l t i m a t u m and an

a b s o l u t e r e j e c t i o n of t h e c l e a r i n t e n t and p u r p o s e of t h e Act.

The m a j o r i t y f a i l s t o r e c o g n i z e t h e s t a t u t o r y d i s t i n c t i o n between c o n d i t i o n s of employment s u b j e c t t o " n e g o t i a t i o n s and b a r g a i n i n g " and a l l o t h e r m a t t e r s and i s s u e s which remain w i t h i n

t h e s o l e d i s c r e t i o n of t h e s c h o o l board and a r e c o n s i d e r e d " m e e t and confer" items only. Section 75-6119, R.C.M. 1947, defines and limits negotiations as follows: "It shall be the duty of all employers acting as a board, or acting by and through a bargain- ing agent designated or employed by the employer, and all teachers, or a representative of teachers, to meet and confer for professional negotiation purposes at the request of either, except as pro- vided by this act, to discuss matters relating directly to the employer-teacher relationship such as salary, hours and other terms of employ- ment, and to negotiate and bargain for agreement on such matters. The matters of negotiation and bargaining for agreement shall not include matters of curriculum, policy of operation, selection of teachers and other personnel, or physical plant of schools or other facilities, however nothing herein shall limit the obligation of employers to meet and confer as provided in section 75- 6118. * * * " The ratification of a master agreement is the only con- clusion provided in the Act to the duty to bargain in good faith as to negotiable conditions of employment. It contains no binding procedure to be used in the event that the parties should reach an impasse. This may be a serious weakness in the Act but courts are not permitted to pass on the wisdom of legislation. Union Carbide v. Skaggs Drug Center, Inc., 139 Mont. 15, 359 P.2d 644; Yellowstone Bank v. Bd. of Equal., 137 Mont. 198, 351 P.2d 904; Willett v. State Examiners, 112 Mont. 317, 115 P.2d 287. Article X, Section 8, of the Constitution of Montana creates school. boards as a constitutional entity but beyond that fact has no further relevance to the issues in this matter. The respondent school board has not argued that the Act is unconstitutional or that the school board is autonomous with respect to the state legis- lature. The findings of fact and conclusions of law of the district court which have, in effect, been affirmed by the majority did not rule on the constitutionality of the Act. This Court should have accepted jurisdiction in this pro- ceeding and held that issuance and offering individual teacher c o n t r a c t s t o t e a c h e r s r e p r e s e n t e d by a b a r g a i n i n g a g e n t p r i o r

t o r a t i f i c a t i o n of a m a s t e r agreement i s an e n j o i n a b l e u n f a i r

Labor p r a c t i c e under t h e Act. The l e g i s l a t u r e must d e c i d e whether

the Act r e q u i r e s amendment. The C o u r t s h o u l d e n f o r c e t h e Act

according t o i t s t e r m s .

Honorable Gordon R . B e n n e t t s i t t i n g i n p l a c e of M r . J u s t i c e Frank I . Haswell.