STIERHEIM DECLARES IMPASSE IN BUDGET TALKS WITH UNIONS February 20, 2002 Miami-Dade schools Superintendent Merrett R. Stierheim declared an impasse today in labor negotiations over a budget reduction plan. The school district will now request that the state's Public Employees Relations Commission expedite "special master" proceedings to resolve the impasse. The recommendations of the special master would be nonbinding. The declaration followed a week of talks between Stierheim and United Teachers of Dade (UTD) Executive Vice President Pat Tornillo, representing a coalition of labor unions that represent school district employees. The talks were prompted by last week's rejection by UTD members of a tentative plan to meet the remaining $13 million of $81 million in budget cuts the district has been forced to make. ### 02-AMC/201/JJR Back to News Releases