This The Missouri State Board of Mediation has a new Chairman, Jim Avery, and is again processing petitions and certifying appropriate bargaining units. The Missouri Supreme Court decision in Independence School District, summarized in our May 2007 e-alert, left many questions unanswered and the process with the Board of Mediation can be confusing to those that have not dealt with the Board before.

A noticeable increase in Board of Mediation activity has occurred and is likely to continue. A number of issues such as what employees should or should not be included together in a bargaining unit or who and who is not a supervisor are fact specific issues with a number of legal implications at stake. Any requests from the Board of Mediation should be handled with care prior to providing a response. If you need assistance responding to inquiries from the Board of Mediation or in procedures before the Board the lawyers of the Lowenbaum Partnership would be happy to assist you.

This E-Alert is intended as in informal summary of certain recent legislation, cases, rulings and other developments. This E-Alert does not constitute legal advice or a legal opinion and is not an adequate substitute for advice of counsel. This E-Alert is not intended to nor does it create an attorney-client relationship. The choice of a lawyer is an important decision and should not be based solely upon advertisements. If this E-Alert is deemed to be an advertisement please disregard this solicitation if you have already engaged a lawyer in connection with the legal matter referred to in this solicitation. You may wish to consult your lawyer or another lawyer instead of us. The exact nature of your legal situation will depend on many facts not known to us at this time. You should understand that the advice and information in this solicitation is general and that your own situation may vary. This statement is required by rule of the Supreme Court of Missouri.