Union representative warns board contract protections could be erased after reorganization

At the Ferguson‑Florissant R‑II Board of Education meeting on May 12, a representative of the Ferguson‑Florissant NEA warned the board that administrative moves tied to a district reorganization could undo longstanding contract protections for teachers and staff.

Dana, speaking on behalf of the FFNEA, said that on April 8 Superintendent Dr. Fields told the room, "we are pro teacher, we are pro union, we are pro CBA," but two weeks later administrators informed staff the current contract "would not serve as the foundation for our next agreement, only the table of contents." Dana said that approach reduces “50 years of negotiated protections” and undermines continuity for employees.

"Article 3, section 2 of our contract says the successor agreement must be built from the current one," Dana said. "In plain terms, you cannot start from scratch." Dana also said the April 22 reorganization plan was approved "without hearing from the people it will affect most," and that administration is reportedly planning to bypass Article 12 procedures governing reassignment and transfer—allowing the chief human resources officer to determine placements by certification and district needs.

The speaker urged the board either to uphold the district’s existing agreements or to publicly explain why they would not, warning that without guarantees staff could leave and students could lose experienced teachers. Board President Tyson acknowledged the comment; the public comment period concluded without an immediate board response or policy reversal on the record.

The board had previously allocated time for public comment under policy BDDH‑1 and said staff will assign someone to follow up; if a response is not received within five business days, the commenter was told to contact Dr. Fields directly.

What happens next: the board did not take formal action on the union’s request during the meeting. The concern centers on how the administration intends to implement reassignments and how much of the current contract language will be preserved in successor agreements.