| July 27, 2009 |
Indiana AFT Affiliate to End No-Raid Agreement with ISTA. Sources within both teachers' unions inform EIA that the Indiana Federation of Teachers (IFT is a branch of the AFT American Federation of Teachers) will opt out of the no-raid agreement it currently has with the NEA-affiliated Indiana State Teachers Association. The decision removes impediments to persuading current ISTA members and locals to switch unions and join IFT. ISTA has a host of financial problems and is under an NEA trusteeship. (read all state monies go to the national's coffers) IFT is only about one-tenth the size of ISTA, but could make a significant dent in the wake of the larger union's $40 dues increase coupled with staff layoffs and consolidation of regional offices. (CTA is about to do the same to us) Under normal circumstances, any battle would be strictly a Hoosier State affair. NEA and AFT have a national no-raid agreement, preventing either from lending assistance to the combatants. However, with an NEA trustee handling all of ISTA's finances, it's hard to see how the national unions can avoid knocking heads over the issue. A further complicating factor is the presence of the long-established Indiana Professional Educators, a non-union teachers' association. Outside of the NEA board of directors rubber-stamping the trusteeship during its meeting in San Diego prior to the opening of the representative assembly, the Indiana situation was not discussed on the convention floor, nor was it discussed in the state caucuses, if the delegates I spoke to are any indication. In the coming year, they may wish they had been let in on the secret. NEA and Private School Educators. At the 2008 NEA Representative Assembly, delegates approved New Business Item 79, which directed the union to "study the potential impact of opening Active membership to private school educators." A special committee examined the issue and presented its findings to the 2009 RA delegates.The report deals mostly with internal issues and contains no recommendations for a policy change, but it does have a couple of interesting paragraphs worth passing along: * "Although the size of the K-12 private school employee workforce is at the present time relatively small, that may not be the case in the future. Because of advances in technology, alternative financing arrangements, and other innovations, the way in which the nation's children are being educated is changing, and the line between the public sector and the private sector is becoming increasingly blurred. The emergence of 'virtual' elementary/secondary schools in some states, and the nationwide push for more charter schools (which the United State Department of Labor has asserted – incorrectly, we believe – are private sector entities for purposes of the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act), are illustrative. Allowing K-12 private school employees to become NEA Active members would provide the flexibility necessary for NEA to deal with the foregoing situations and other situations that cannot now be fully anticipated." * "A desire to avoid LMRDA coverage is at least one of the reasons why some forty state affiliates do not at the present time seek to organize and represent any private sector education employees – even those who currently are eligible for NEA Active membership." * A Dose of Reality. Chances are you won't be seeing a list like this in the future. |
Monday
Public Education Research, Analysis and Investigations
Labor exec in Portland to address union dispute
by Bill Graves, The Oregonian Monday July 20, 2009, 6:23 PM
Randi Weingarten, one of the nation's top labor leaders as head of the 1.4 million-strong American Federation of Teachers, was in Portland on Monday to help settle a conflict with one of the union's Oregon affiliates.
The AFT on July 7 removed three senior officers and the 17-member local executive board of the Oregon Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals Local 5017 and seized the local's finances through a "protective order."
The AFT has charged that local leaders violated union bylaws by meeting in July and improperly using dues money to promote a move to sever from the teachers union. The action marks the fourth time in AFT's 93-year history that it has placed a local union under a temporary administratorship.
A three-member committee composed of three of AFT's 36 national vice presidents will conduct a hearing in about a week to decide whether the temporary takeover is warranted and to determine how local leadership should be restored. Weingarten appointed Mark Richard, a Florida labor lawyer, as trustee of the local.
AFT locals have the right to break away, but they must follow proper procedures in doing so, said Weingarten in an interview with The Oregonian.
"The goal here is to make sure members have a right to make a decision," said Weingarten, who just completed her first year as AFT president. "It is not about the leaders. It is about the members' democratic rights and their economic rights."
Kathy Geroux, who was removed as president of Local 5017, declined to comment. But she and union leaders released a statement defending their actions, saying the bylaws allow special meetings.
"We believe that everyone on the executive board will be vindicated of all the charges made," Geroux wrote.
The local represents about 3,000 registered nurses and health care workers at Kaiser Permanente in Oregon and Washington and another 125 at Providence Milwaukie Hospital. Weingarten says she wants to swiftly settle the internal union dispute so the local can focus on upcoming labor negotiations with hospitals in 2010.
Most of AFT's members are public school teachers. The union also represents some university professors, and it has an AFT Healthcare division that represents 70,000 workers nationwide.
The national union has become heavily involved in health care reform efforts underway in Congress, Weingarten said, noting that she and other labor leaders met with President Obama last week. AFT members also lobbied 50 congressional offices representing 25 states last week, she said.
The union is pushing for a health reform plan that includes a public health insurance option, a controversial proposal opposed by health insurers and many members of Congress. The AFT also knows "the hidden costs of cost cutting" in health care can mean overworked nurses, Weingarten said.
"We push very hard for safe staffing levels and push against mandatory overtime," she said, "because we know what that does in terms of deleterious effects on patient care."I would lead that parade!
Saturday
Maybe some good news
Great news! Finally after a year, the MVEA has agreed to furlough days instead of pink slips. Still, Basically a loss in pay: in exchange for saving jobs. I applaud you all. I am a bit confused, though, by some statements in the Press,the MVEA web site and in the Board minutes (still unfinished):1 Why was David Sanchez, President of CTA down here at the Friday meeting before this unscheduled Monday Meeting 7/13/09? Out of the hugh number of CTA districts through out Southern California? Has something seriously changed in negotiations that would require his attention? Or did Ann just charm him?
2 My understanding was Sanchez made a plea for the DO to use of the districts remaining stimulus moneys? Of course the state will be financially sound by next year so we won't need them.?! I don't recall hearing of sudden support of furlough days from CTA.
3 Who ever brought up and pushed through the furlough idea (my hat's off to you) Especially when it's been shot down so many times. A lot of People got pinked because of that. Who ever you are - Job well done! MVEA said there was a previous agreement with the MVEA, the CSEA and the DO but it was nixed by the board. Why?
4 The Press indicated there was an agreement with teachers? The same article said there was a vote. Was this based on a previous vote?
5 Are all three bodies in agreement now? If so, why is there no mention anywhere? May be everyone is waiting on the official Board vote. Under the best of circumstances, which rarely occur in education, how long before this becomes a reality?Monday's agenda still shows the district readying for almost one hundred lay-offs. see attached.
Moreno Valley teachers agree to furlough days
Moreno Valley teachers
agree to furlough days!
5:26 PM PDTon Tuesday, July 14, 2009
A tentative agreement reached Monday means 87 Moreno Valley teachers may return to their classrooms next month.
In a packed board meeting, the Moreno Valley Board of Education announced that the district's approximately 1,850 teachers had agreed to each take two furlough days to save jobs threatened by layoffs. Further budget cuts caused the district to consider the layoffs again, officials said.
The agreement reached Monday morning calls for teachers to take two unpaid days off when students are not in school. The association also will work with the district to find money for 9.5 nonteaching positions that otherwise may still be cut this summer.
"This is a first," Moreno Valley Educators Association President Janet MacMillan said of the furlough days.
The school board made $23 million in cuts before approving the district's $284 million budget on June 30. District officials still needed to trim another $20 million because of state budget woes.
The agreement reached Monday came after a teachers rally Friday and letters to school board members.
Sixth-grade teacher Laurie Warner wore a pink shirt Monday as a reminder of the pink slips. "I think in the end, what came through was they cared about their employees," she said.
"Tuesday, July 14th: School District’s Future at Risk"
Board will consider motion to hand over new schools to outside groups
On Tuesday, July 14, the Los Angeles School Board will be considering a motion sponsored by School Board member Yolie Flores Aguilar, Richard Vladovic, and Monica Garcia creating a process, funded and managed by outsiders, which basically gives away new schools to non-LAUSD groups under the guise of improved education. An outside "leader" will also "develop a template and process" for plans to operate new schools, including instructional practices.
See motion text (Item #33) from School Board agenda as of 11 am, 7/13/09 (4 pages)
Instead of passing off their duties to outside entities, the LAUSD Board should accept accountability for what the motion calls the "chronic academic underperformance of public schools" and take responsibility to establish and run quality schools for the community.
It is imperative that many of our members attend the Tuesday, July 14, School Board meeting to protest and block the "giveaway" of our schools. If passed, this motion will start the process of privatization of public education.
LAUSD School Board Meeting
at LAUSD Headquarters
333 So. Beaudry, Los Angeles
Board of Education Meeting Room
The motion is expected to be heard around 5:00 pm.
.Tuesday
Tomorrow - interesting reading
My Favorite Links:
- U.S. Department of Justice
- Fedeal Bureau Of Investigation
- CNN Crime
- National Sex Offender Public Website
- Association for the Recovery of Children
- National Center for Missing and Exploited Chidren
- Talk it Over
- Huffington Post
- Art Harris.com
- I Can Has Cheeseburger
- My BedHead
- Voice 123.com
- MVGordie.wordpress.com
- Dial 211 - United Way
- Food Stamps and Emergency financial Assistan
Tomorrow - interesting reading
My Favorite Links:
- U.S. Department of Justice
- Fedeal Bureau Of Investigation
- CNN Crime
- National Sex Offender Public Website
- Association for the Recovery of Children
- National Center for Missing and Exploited Chidren
- Talk it Over
- Huffington Post
- Art Harris.com
- I Can Has Cheeseburger
- My BedHead
- Voice 123.com
- MVGordie.wordpress.com
- Dial 211 - United Way
- Food Stamps and Emergency financial Assistan