LISBON — Lisbon schools’ collective bargaining unit returned a 94% vote of no confidence in Superintendent Richard Green on Saturday afternoon, according to a Lisbon Education Association news release.
In a separate vote held last week, 96% of LEA members that participated decided to hold the no-confidence vote. Employees await a fresh contract to replace the previous one which timed out in September.
The collective bargaining unit consists of LEA and non-union members like counselors, secretaries, cafeteria workers, custodians and bus drivers. Negotiations began in April 2022 and the unit called for mediation that July when an agreement could not be made. Mediation failed this past March and negotiations were sent to findings of fact, a process that breaks down points of contention and concludes with a resolution. That process is still ongoing.
LEA President Rick Beaulé and Maine Education Association UniServ District 5 director Rosemary Mahoney said in the release that requests for the no-confidence vote were punctuated by many grievances. The most common ones were a lack of good faith bargaining and “years of intimidation and reprisal toward employees including reassignment or nonrenewal” of those participating in contract negotiations.
The Lisbon school committee will meet next on Monday. The meeting’s agenda includes an executive session for a routine evaluation of Green’s employment. The committee will decide in a public session following the discussion whether to continue Green’s employment and under what terms.
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