Opinion ID: 2048465
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Statutory grievance.

Text: The Agreement sets out a grievance procedure as required in SDCL 3-18-15.1, but specifically limits grievances to the terms of the Agreement. The Agreement defines grievance as a complaint by a teacher, or teachers, employed by the District, that there has been a violation, misinterpretation or inequitable application of any of the terms of this Agreement[.] Article I of the Agreement further provides: [T]he parties hereto understand and agree that any individual teacher, or group of teachers, shall have the right at any time to present grievances to the District and to have such grievances adjusted without the intervention of the Association as long as the adjustment is not inconsistent with the terms of this agreement, and provided the Association has been given the opportunity to be present at such adjustment. Kechely argues that notwithstanding this provision, a statutory grievance is available under SDCL 3-18-15.3, which provides: If no grievance procedure is enacted as provided in § 3-18-15.1, the department of labor shall promulgate such rules and regulations as may be appropriate and adopt a standard grievance procedure to carry out the provisions of § 3-18-15.1. Such procedures will thereby be established as if the said governing officer and board had adopted the same. Kechely alleges that the District violated Policy GCK but failed to provide a procedure to resolve a violation of the policy. He argues that this illegally limited his statutory grievance rights. Kechely cites SDCL 3-18-1.1 in support of this argument, which defines a grievance as: [A] complaint by a public employee or group of public employees based upon an alleged violation, misinterpretation, or inequitable application of any existing agreements, contracts, ordinances, policies, rules or regulations of the ... public schools, ... as they apply to the conditions of employment. Kechely claims that this statute provides a much broader definition of grievance than the Agreement. Since the Agreement limits grievances to its terms, Kechely argues that the District has not provided a full grievance procedure as contemplated by the legislature under the provisions of SDCL ch. 3-18. The Department and circuit court agreed with these arguments by Kechely. In affirming the Department, the circuit court stated: The broadness of the grievance laws in South Dakota give the impression that our Legislature wanted to grant the greatest possible leeway to individual public employees to express a complaint on conditions of employment. The statutes do not address instances where a public body and an employee representative create a grievance procedure limiting grievances to the terms of the agreement, and hence leaving out grievable issues allowed by statute. Yet a liberal reading to the statutes suggests that public policy overrules contractual agreements depriving public employees of grievances allowed by law. (footnote omitted). The circuit court's conclusion is doubtful in light of SDCL 3-18-3, which provides: Representatives designated or selected for the purpose of formal representation by the majority of the employees in a unit appropriate for such purposes shall be the exclusive representatives of all employees in such unit for the purpose of representation in respect to rates of pay, wages, hours of employment, or other conditions of employment; provided that any individual employee, or a group of employees, shall have the right at any time to present grievances to their employer and to have such grievances adjusted without the intervention of the formal representative as long as the adjustment is not inconsistent with the terms of any settlement with the formal representative then in effect, ... (emphasis added). Under this section, individual employees are limited to grievances not inconsistent with the terms of the Agreement. SDCL ch. 3-18 does not require that specific terms relating to conditions of employment be included in the negotiated agreement. Instead, the District and the Association may negotiate any terms they believe should be included as conditions of employment in the agreement. If a matter, although potentially grievable under the statutes as a condition of employment or as a matter affecting a condition of employment, is inconsistent with the agreement, it is limited by the terms of the agreement under SDCL 3-18-3. Kechely's statutory grievance claim under SDCL 3-18-15.3 appears to be precluded by SDCL 3-18-3. Article XXIII provides that  All teachers shall be paid in accordance with the provisions of this Appendix whether they teach in a senior or junior high school, elementary school or special school. (emphasis added). The only deviation permitted from these salary rates is extra pay for certain extra-curricular activities. Kechely's teaching day was within the seven-hour teaching day, and he does not claim that he was assigned any extra-curricular activities. Kechely's grievance simply seeks a twenty-percent pay increase above the Agreement's salary rates. The circuit court concluded that the Agreement did not prohibit additional pay for extra classloads because Although the Negotiated Agreement deals with stipends and additional pay for extracurricular activities, it is silent on the subject of additional pay for heavier class loads. The Agreement plainly states that The actual period of time assigned for such duty hours shall be made by the building principal or other appropriate supervisor and ... adjusted to meet the needs of the department, division or level[.] The Agreement is clear that all assigned duty hours within the seven-hour school day are within the discretion of the District. The only exception is certain extra-curricular activities in Article VIII for which extra compensation is provided under the Agreement. Thus, Kechely's grievance for additional compensation for a larger classload is inconsistent with the terms of the Agreement and precluded by SDCL 3-18-3. In its liberal reading of the grievance statutes, the circuit court failed to consider the reason for the broadness of the grievance laws under SDCL ch. 3-18. The grievance provisions are not written solely for unionized, public employees who negotiate a collective bargaining agreement through an exclusive representative. They are equally applicable to grievances filed by other public employees. Public employees who are unable to bring a grievance under the terms of a collective bargaining agreement need a broader definition of grievance in order to claim violations of contracts, ordinances, policies, rules, etc. Kechely also relies on SDCL 3-18-15, which provides in part: Nothing contained in this chapter shall be construed to limit, impair or affect the right of any public employee or his or her representative to the expression or communication of a view, grievance, complaint or opinion on any matter related to the conditions or compensation of public employment or their betterment, ... Kechely would read this provision to prohibit any limitation upon an employee's right to bring a grievance under SDCL ch. 3-18. Such an interpretation would nullify the provisions of SDCL 3-18-3, which clearly limits an employee's grievance rights. A better interpretation of SDCL 3-18-15 is that suggested by the District. The prohibition against limitations on expression or communication appears aimed at protecting the individual or collective right of free speech. This interpretation is consistent with recent challenges to an association's exclusive representation of public employees. Minnesota State Board for Community Colleges v. Knight, 465 U.S. 271, 104 S.Ct. 1058, 79 L.Ed.2d 299 (1984). SDCL 3-18-3 recognizes the Association's exclusive right to bargain for all the conditions of employment. This right is also recognized by the parties under their Agreement, which provides: [This is] a complete agreement covering rates of pay, wages, hours of employment and other conditions of employment,... WHEREAS, the parties do hereby acknowledge that this agreement is the result of the unlimited right and opportunity afforded each of the parties to make any and all demands and proposals with respect to the rates of pay, wages, hours of employment and other conditions of employment with respect to the unit of employees covered hereby, ... (emphasis added). Both parties concede that the Agreement is binding as to all its terms. The statutes also recognize the binding effect of collective agreements between the employee's exclusive representative and a public entity. To permit Kechely's statutory grievance under these circumstances would frustrate the collective bargaining process and the binding effect of agreements recognized in SDCL ch. 3-18.