DON'T WAIVE YOUR RIGHTS! and other issues
It's a sad state of affairs when the fear level is such that people make comments on the blog without stating their name (see the comment on the posting below). It is understandable, however, when it is a substitute teacher and subs have limited rights because they are not in our bargaining unit. This is a situation we are in the process of correcting.
Just last week, the same issue of fear popped up in two separate situations. In one school, a support employee has been voluntarily working overtime to past 5 p.m., without compensation. Now she wants to work her regular work day and is afraid to cut back. The NEA rep in her school pointed out to her that working overtime until it has become an obligation, not a gift, is an example of how she has waived her rights.
The employee in question isn't an NEA member, yet she expects NEA to fix the problem caused by the waiving of her rights; we don't recommend that you waive your rights. Everyone goes beyond the call of duty, to be sure. But we have a collective bargaining agreement with the district for a reason. Upholding the agreement is everyone's duty. Waiving your rights will only come back to haunt you.
A teacher in another school called me to say that she and her colleagues are afraid to go to school board meetings and ask questions because the principal of her school will hold it against them. Those of us involved in the work of upholding the collective bargaining agreement have dealt with the fear, personally, in one way or another. But we are protected against retaliation when we carry out our NEA work. This protection is in our collective bargaining agreement, as well as state law.
Our advice? Let's put the topic of fear on the table for everyone to see. Let's talk about it openly! Overcoming fear is the first step to actualizing our power of standing together.
Just last week, the same issue of fear popped up in two separate situations. In one school, a support employee has been voluntarily working overtime to past 5 p.m., without compensation. Now she wants to work her regular work day and is afraid to cut back. The NEA rep in her school pointed out to her that working overtime until it has become an obligation, not a gift, is an example of how she has waived her rights.
The employee in question isn't an NEA member, yet she expects NEA to fix the problem caused by the waiving of her rights; we don't recommend that you waive your rights. Everyone goes beyond the call of duty, to be sure. But we have a collective bargaining agreement with the district for a reason. Upholding the agreement is everyone's duty. Waiving your rights will only come back to haunt you.
A teacher in another school called me to say that she and her colleagues are afraid to go to school board meetings and ask questions because the principal of her school will hold it against them. Those of us involved in the work of upholding the collective bargaining agreement have dealt with the fear, personally, in one way or another. But we are protected against retaliation when we carry out our NEA work. This protection is in our collective bargaining agreement, as well as state law.
Our advice? Let's put the topic of fear on the table for everyone to see. Let's talk about it openly! Overcoming fear is the first step to actualizing our power of standing together.
posted by Editor | 11:59 AM
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