Opinion ID: 2273678
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: Resolution of the Case Without Overruling Clouse and Sumpter

Text: Article I, section 29 of the Missouri Constitution states: Organized labor and collective bargaining  That employees shall have the right to organize and to bargain collectively through representatives of their own choosing. City of Springfield v. Clouse, 356 Mo. 1239, 206 S.W.2d 539 (1947), provided the initial interpretation of this section. Clouse held that article I, section 29 can only be construed to apply to employees in private industry. Id. at 545. However, Clouse recognized the right of all citizens under the Missouri Constitution, including public employees, to peaceably assemble and organize for any proper purpose, to speak freely and to present their views and desires to any public officer or legislative body. Id.
In 1965 the legislature enacted the public sector labor law, sections 105.500 to 105.530. Those sections outline the manner in which public employees are entitled to exercise the right to assemble recognized in Clouse . See State ex rel. Missey v. City of Cabool, 441 S.W.2d 35 (Mo.1969). In Missey, this Court held that the general assembly must have had the intent to enact this legislation in accord with constitutional principles previously enunciated in City of Springfield v. Clouse .  Id. at 41. The Court declared: The act does not constitute a delegation or bargaining away to the union of the legislative power of the public body, and therefore does no violence to City of Springfield v. Clouse, supra, 206 S.W.2d l.c. 543(4), 545-6(8, 9), because the prior discretion in the legislative body to adopt, modify or reject outright the results of the discussions is untouched. The public employer is not required to agree but is required only to meet, confer and discuss, a duty already enjoined upon such employer prior to the enactment of this legislation. City of Springfield v. Clouse, supra, l.c. 542-3(1-3). The act provides only a procedure for communication between the organization selected by public employees and their employer without requiring adoption of any agreement reached. Id. The Court also distinguished the rights and limitations outlined in sections 105.500 to 105.530 from collective bargaining rights allowed to private employees under the constitution: [Sections 105.500 to 105.530] do not purport to give to public employees the right of collective bargaining guaranteed by Section 29, Article I, of the 1945 Constitution to employees in private industry and in the sense that term is usually known with its attendant connotation of unfair labor practice for refusal by the employer to execute and adopt the agreement produced by bargaining, and the use of strike as a bargaining device constitutionally protected to private employees but expressly denied by Section 105.530 to public employees. Id. (internal citations omitted). Sections 105.500 to 105.530 have provided public employees with the alternative to collective bargaining that has been utilized for over 40 years. Although teachers are expressly excluded from those sections, they too enjoy the right to organize and discuss employment conditions with the public body through a representative of their choosing. See Peters v. Bd. of Educ. of the Reorganized Sch. Dist. No. 5 of St. Charles County, 506 S.W.2d 429, 432 (Mo.1974).
The public sector labor law sets out the perimeters in which the discussions between public employees and the governing body must take place. Section 105.510 provides, in relevant part: Employees, except police, deputy sheriffs, Missouri state highway patrolmen, Missouri national guard, all teachers of all Missouri schools, colleges and universities, of any public body shall have the right to form and join labor organizations and to present proposals to any public body relative to salaries and other conditions of employment through the representative of their own choosing. Section 105.520 provides, in relevant part: Whenever such proposals are presented by the exclusive bargaining representative to a public body, the public body or its designated representative or representatives shall meet, confer and discuss such proposals relative to salaries and other conditions of employment of the employees of the public body with the labor organization which is the exclusive bargaining representative of its employees in a unit appropriate. Upon the completion of discussions, the results shall be reduced to writing and be presented to the appropriate administrative, legislative or other governing body in the form of an ordinance, resolution, bill or other form required for adoption, modification or rejection. The statutes guarantee the right of public employees, through their exclusive bargaining representative, to present proposals regarding salary and working conditions to a governing body. It also requires the governing body to meet, confer and discuss the proposals with the labor organization that is the exclusive bargaining representative of the employees. Again, teachers are afforded the same rights under Clouse and Peters . See Clouse, 206 S.W.2d at 542; Peters, 506 S.W.2d at 432.
It is important to note that the right to meet, confer and discuss clearly applies only to salaries and other conditions of employment. Sec. 105.520. In the instant case, Missouri law is clear that the board retains the exclusive right to manage the district's operations and make all decisions regarding the manner in which the operations of the district are conducted. Section 171.011 gives school boards the power to make all needful rules and regulations for the organization, grading and government in the school district. The statute vests the school districts with broad powers and discretion in the management of school affairs. School Dist. of Kansas City v. Clymer, 554 S.W.2d 483, 486 (Mo.App.1977). Accordingly, the board is free to unilaterally adopt policies that do not relate to salary or working conditions, such as policies that establish the details of meet and confer procedures. However, the power of the board to manage school affairs through its policies is subject to the guidelines of the statute[s] and to due process of law considerations, Clymer, 554 S.W.2d at 486, such as the meet and confer procedures set out in sections 105.500 to 105.520. Although the details of the discussion procedures may be established in the policies of the employer, those procedures must comply with sections 105.500 to 105.530.
Sumpter v. City of Moberly, 645 S.W.2d 359 (Mo. banc 1982), acknowledged that a governing body may adopt the proposal of an employee group by way of ordinance, resolution or other appropriate form, depending on the nature of the public body. Id. at 363. It stated that the result will be an administrative rule, an ordinance, a resolution, or something else . . . but it will not be a binding collective bargaining contract. Id. Because any agreement made with employees was merely an ordinance or resolution, Sumpter held that governing bodies are free to disregard the agreement so long as the agreement is rescinded by appropriate action. Id.
Assuming that neither Clouse nor Sumpter is overruled, the appellants are nonetheless entitled to relief on most, but not all, of their claims.
Although Clouse would prevent the Court from ordering the board to bargain collectively with its employees pursuant to article I, section 29, under Missey, Peters and the public sector labor law the appellants are entitled to meet and confer with the Board regarding salary and other conditions of their employment. The Board was prohibited from adopting a grievance procedure without first meeting and conferring with the representatives of the employee groups, when requested, and, therefore, the unilaterally adopted grievance procedures are invalid. Grievance procedures are clearly a condition of employment. NLRB v. Indep. Stave Co., 591 F.2d 443, 446 (8th Cir.1979); see also Schaffer v. Bd. of Educ. of City of St. Louis, 869 S.W.2d 163, 166 (Mo.App.1993) (federal authority is persuasive in the interpretation of the phrase, other conditions of employment). Further, the transportation employees are entitled to relief on their claim that the board improperly adopted policies regarding payroll deductions and dismissal and discipline without first discussing those changes with the representatives of the employees. Those subjects plainly deal with salary and conditions of employment and the provisions adopted unilaterally by the board in violation of the law are invalid.
However, the board was not required to meet and confer with the appellants prior to adopting its policy on discussion procedure. Section 171.011 gives the board broad powers in managing the operations of the school. In the parties' joint stipulation of facts, the parties agree that the communication procedure rescinded by the board when it adopted the CTP was at all times contained in a board policy, not a contract or any other type agreement. There was no agreement between the board and the appellants that provided the appellants with any greater rights relative to the modification of that policy. Because the details of exactly how the parties will structure meetings to discuss working conditions is not itself a working condition, the board is free to adopt that policy unilaterally.
As to the third issue, who the board is required to accept proposals from and meet with during discussions, appellants would be entitled to relief. Although the board was free to unilaterally adopt policies that did not relate to salary or working conditions, it was obligated by law to meet and confer with the exclusive bargaining representative of its employee groups. The meet and confer procedure adopted by the board in its CTP violates section 105.520 as well as the rights of the teachers recognized in Clouse and Peters . See Clouse, 206 S.W.2d at 542; Peters, 506 S.W.2d at 432. Requiring the representatives of the Independence-Transportation Employees Association and the Independence-Educational Support Personnel to join a collaborative team before presenting their proposals did not adequately guarantee each respective group's right to form and join labor organizations and to present proposals to any public body relative to salaries and other conditions of employment through the representative of their own choosing.  Sec. 105.510 (emphasis added); see also Independence-Nat'l Educ. Assoc. v. Independence Sch. Dist., 162 S.W.3d 18, 23 (Mo.App.2005). The CTP did not guarantee that the board would meet and confer with the labor organization which is the exclusive bargaining representative of its employees. Sec. 105.520; see also Independence-Nat'l Educ. Assoc., 162 S.W.3d at 23. Likewise, requiring the teachers to join a collaborative group did not adequately guarantee the teachers the right to speak freely and to present their views and desires either individually or through a representative of their choosing. See Clouse, 206 S.W.2d at 542; Peters, 506 S.W.2d at 432. Under the case law and the public sector law, the CTP mandating collaborative team proposals is improper. The board must enact a new policy regarding the meet and confer procedure in accordance with the law, although it is not required to meet and confer with the appellants prior to doing so.
Finally, once a proposal produced by the meet and confer procedure is adopted by the board, the question is whether the board is bound to that agreement. If Sumpter is not overruled the appellants would not be entitled to relief on that issue. Under Sumpter , the board was free to unilaterally rescind any agreement it adopted so long as the agreement was rescinded by appropriate action. In this case, the board voted to rescind the agreements and, therefore, its action was proper under Sumpter .