BE THERE! Plans for August

BE THERE! Plans for August

RESPECT: I’LL BE THERE!

Stay in touch with NSEA and NESPA over the summer!

Starting August 1st, please:

• Promptly return any call from your Association colleagues.
  
• Check your HOME email often. We will also send messages to your NSD email, but it may not be operating for us.
  
• Visit the Association websites frequently: NSEA: northshoreea.blogspot.com; NESPA: nespablog.blogspot.com
  
• Make it a priority to BE THERE when asked to take action

BE THERE!

• Tuesday, August 26th: NSD School Board Meeting. If either Association still has not reached a tentative agreement by this date, please BE THERE. Picketing will begin at 5:00 pm and we will briefly attend the 7:00 pm School Board Meeting.
• Wednesday, August 27th: First work day. Wear your RESPECT pin. CONTRACT RATIFICATION/STRIKE VOTE after school (4:00 pm for sign-in; 4:30 pm for meeting) at the Cedar Park Assembly of God, 16300 112th Ave NE, Bothell.

If you have questions, contact Lydia King, NSEA Administrative Assistant, at lking@washingtonea.org

Motion Passed Unanimously June 16th

The following motion was passed by NSEA and NESPA members at the Monday, June 16th General Membership Meeting at Inglemoor High School:

We strongly support our Association’s efforts to secure a collective bargaining agreement that furthers PROFESSIONAL RESPECT.

We direct our Association’s leadership (Officers, Board, Building Reps/Building Communicators, Bargaining Team, and Bargaining Support Team) to make all necessary preparations to achieve such an agreement.

We commit, collectively and individually, to “Be There” for each other and our Association in August. We will continue to participate in the activities that support our Bargaining Team and Association until we have reached an agreement in these negotiations.

NESPA and NEA June 16th Meeting

Successful Meeting!

On Monday, June 16, over 800 teachers, paraprofessionals, school nurses, and other Northshore educators attended a joint meeting of their unions and professional organizations at Inglemoor High School.

Both Associations are in negotiations with the District administration for new collective bargaining agreements. The current agreements expire on August 31, just before the school year begins.


This was the first joint membership meeting in the history of the two organizations. The Northshore Education Association (NSEA), representing Northshore’s 1200 teachers, and the Northshore Educational Support Professionals Association (NESPA), representing Northshore’s 500 other employees who work directly with students, have much in common.

NSEA Executive Board and Bargaining Team

NESPA Executive Board and Bargaining Team

“We work together with the students everyday, and our issues are similar and intertwined,” said Tim Brittell, a former Northshore teacher and mentor, and President of NSEA. “It’s time we began to work together.”

The educators heard updates on the status of negotiations, and made plans to support their Associations in August, when negotiations will continue.

“We’re still far apart on many issues,” said Deb Murphy, the School Nurse at Woodin Elementary who is President of NESPA. “We are looking forward to working with our new superintendent, and are hopeful that we’ll make more bargaining progress this summer.”

Members are addressed by NSEA President Tim Brittell and

NESPA Co-President Deb Murphy

The educators voted unanimously to pass a motion supporting their negotiating teams’ efforts to secure agreements, “that further professional respect.” The motion directs each Association’s leadership to, “make all necessary preparations to achieve such an agreement, “ and commits the membership, “to participate in the activities that support our Bargaining Team and Association until we have reached an agreement in these negotiations.”





Louise Ervin, a School Assistant at Woodin Elementary who is a NESPA Board member stated: “If we want our District to continue to be great….if we want professional respect so we can continue to keep this District great, we’re going to have to continue to be there for each other and for our Association in August.”

More great photos are available at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nsea

JUNE 16 NESPA BARGAINING ISSUES

BIG PROBLEMS NEED RESOLUTION!

NO AGREEMENT ON:

· Adequate Hours. The administration has proposed to eliminate the 20 hour minimum work week that applies to all Para Educators (Special Ed, LAP, ELL, Head Start, and more), Nurses, Deans, and most other jobs. It does not apply to School Assistants or School Technology Assistants. Eliminating the 20 hour minimum could result in more NESPA members working fewer hours, and more ineligible for benefits. We are seeking minimum workweeks that correspond to what most members currently work, and a process to make it easier to get more hours, when available.
· Compensation: The administration has proposed no guaranteed annual step increases, and no COLA on Professional Standards Program Stipends. Both are essential. Step increases and a COLA need to be the guaranteed minimum increases. The administration has proposed an inadequate increase.
· Transfers: The current process is confusing. Some jobs are posted. Others are not. We are seeking a process that enables staff to more easily get positions at the schools and with the hours they want, when available.
· Displacement: When enrollment drops in a school, staff are displaced. They have to apply for other jobs, and have no guarantee of a position similar to what they had.
· Nurses: The cuts to 8 schools (including TJH), making their nurses 20 hours per week, has created numerous issues that have not yet been resolved. These include their duties, moving and before school work time, scheduling, storage needs, and what happens when they are not at a school. (Assignment process has been agreed.)
· Professional Hours: Many of us run out of professional hours early in the year. We are seeking access to a pool of unused professional hours, for those who need them.
· “School Year Only”-Single Year Only- Hours and Positions: Why is one out of 4 NESPA members SYO—with no job or hour security—even when our jobs and hours continue year after year? We need a better system.
· “Substitutes” : Currently, almost any employee could be classified as a substitute. An ongoing employee can be considered a substitute, for an unlimited period of time.
· Representation on School’s Leadership Team: Education Support Professionals are not part of the team, though there are some decisions which affect them. We are seeking a representative on the team, although the certificated staff on the Team could decide whether the NESPA representative may participate in deliberations of a matter if they believe it does not affect NESPA members.
· Safety Training: Special Ed Parapros who work in CLCs with violent students need access to the paid training far more often than it is currently offered.
· Staff Development Training Fund: The amount currently provided ($18,000: $200 per use max) is inadequate, and any unused funds in the total pool should be carried over to the next year.
· Step 15: We should not have to wait 16 years to get to Step 15. The current process does not make sense.

Your participation today and in August

makes the difference when we get back to the table.

NESPA News

RESPECT: WILL YOU BE THERE?

MONDAY, JUNE 16 MEETING & VOTE-----

Don’t miss it! The meeting on Monday, June 16 will be the first ever joint meeting of NESPA and NSEA—the teachers. Show your respect for yourself, your fellow educators, your bargaining team, and our future as educators by being there. Inglemoor High School Gym. Doors open at 4 PM. Meeting starts at 4:30. Carpool. If you cannot arrange childcare, you are welcome to bring your children and maintain them under your supervision.
· Please make a commitment now. Sign the petition “I’LL BE THERE” sheet.
· Wear your button EVERY DAY.Offer to help your Building Communicator.

Thank you!

• Thank you to everyone who worked so hard this year to build our Communication Network and make our Union a stronger Union.


• 
  Thank you to Kathy Emmons, our outgoing President, who stepped forward 3 years ago when no one else would and led us for 3 years. This was a large challenge, especially while working and going to school


• Thank you to our NESPA Board of Directors and Committee Chairs for working so hard all year to move us forward.


• Thank you to our Building Communicators who took on extra work this year to build our Communication Networks .


• Thank you to our Network Communicators for stepping up and helping our Building communicators.


• Thank you to our Bargaining Committee working so hard to improve our work conditions

WHAT ARE THE ISSUES?

As NESPA members, we are an essential part of each school’s team of professional educators. Our work is important. In these negotiations, we are asking that we be treated with professional respect.

The issues in these negotiations are the ones that you asked NESPA to address in your bargaining survey. And they are also the take-aways that the administration has proposed. Here are some:

Adequate Hours. The administration has proposed to eliminate the 20 hour minimum work week that applies to all Para Educators (Special Ed, LAP, ELL, Head Start, and more), Nurses, Deans, and most other jobs. We are seeking minimum workweeks that correspond to what most members currently work, and a process to make it easier to get more hours

Compensation: We are seeking a modest increase. The administration has proposed no guaranteed annual step increases, and no COLA on PSP Stipends. They have also proposed to cut the PSP stipends of 17 members who are at Levels II and III on the salary schedule.

Breaks: We are seeking ways to ensure that all NESPA members can take their break

Transfers: We are seeking a better process that enables staff to more easily get positions at the schools and with the hours they want, when available.

Displacement: When enrollment drops in a school, staff are displaced. We seek to improve the current process, in which most staff have no guarantee of a position like the one they had.
Professional Hours: We are seeking access to unused professional hours, for those who need them.

Representation on School’s Leadership Team: We want to be part of the team.

“School Year Only” Positions: Why are ¼ of us SYO (Single Year Only)—with no job security—even when our jobs continue year after year?

More: There are many other important issues we are working to address.

WILL BEING AT THE MEETING MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

It definitely will! The administration needs to know that your NESPA Bargaining Team speaks for you. The administration needs to know that you care about the outcome of these negotiations. They need to know that you care enough to take the time to show your support for NESPA’s efforts to improve our professional respect.

We’ll start our meeting together with NSEA. If we have a “tentative agreement” to vote on, we’ll separate, and review it together. (A “tentative agreement” is a contract that is agreed upon, tentative to a vote of the membership.) If there is not yet a tentative agreement, we’ll update you, and make plans for late August. It’s important that you show your support either way. And it’s important that you don’t let others make a decision for you.

Your bargaining team is spending hours for you. They may even spend part of August at the table—for you. Please take the time to do your part by being at the meeting. The meeting will be exciting and, after all, it’s about RESPECT!

WELCOME NEW BOARD MEMBERS

On June 1 NESPA’s new Executive Committee and Board Members started their terms of office. Ballots were returned on Friday, May 29. Below is a list of your new Executive Committee and Board Members.

Executive Committee: Elected
President Co-Suzanne Ducotey
Co-Deb Murphy
V-President Bharati Khandekar
Secretary Darlene Durante
Treasurer Bob Warren

Board Positions: Elected
Nurse Rep Peggy Sturm
Sp. Ed Rep. (HS) Judy Ellis
Sp. Ed. Rep (JRH) Donna Smith
Sp. Ed. Rep.(Elem) Lucy Miceli
Sp. ED. Rep. (WM) None at this time
Sp. Ed. Rep. (SORENSEN) Darleen Durante
Lap Rep (Sec) None at this time
Lap Rep (Elem) None at this time
ELL Rep (Sec) Bob Warren
ELL Rep. (Elem) None at this time
School Asst. Rep Kathleen Konarzewski
Sch. Tech Rep Karen Kohler
Dean Rep None at this time
Project Hope Debra Fobes
CSS Rep. Marge Mitchell
Interpreter Rep Jeanni Schwenk

More Info about Monday June 16

The Joint NSEA/NESPA General Membership meeting is scheduled for Monday, June 16th 2008. Doors open at 4:00 pm; the meeting starts at 4:30 pm at the Inglemoor High School Gym.

PLEASE CARPOOL!

GETTING TO INGLEMOOR:
15500 Simonds Road NE
Kenmore, WA 98028

Coming from North or South on I-405
• Take Exit #22 (N.E. 160th Street) from I-405
• From Northbound, take a Left onto N.E. 160th Street
• From Southbound, take a Right onto N.E. 160th Street
• N.E. 160th Street turns into Juanita-Woodinville Way N.E.
• Turn Right onto N.E. 145th Street
• Turn Left onto 100th Avenue N.E
.• Turn Right onto Simonds Road
• After approximately one mile, Inglemoor High School will be on your right.

Coming From Lake City/Bothell Way N.E.
• Turn Right form Eastbound onto 68th Avenue N.E.
• Turn Left from Westbound onto 68th Avenue N.E.
• Turn Left onto Simonds Road N.E.
• After approximately one mile, Inglemoor High School will be on your left.

PARKING AT INGLEMOOR

• There are 500 spaces at Inglemoor High School. Attendants will be on hand to assist you in finding a space.
  
• Overflow parking is available at the Romanian Church (8315 NE 155th Kenmore, WA) and the Lighthouse Foursquare Church (15725 Simonds Road, Kenmore, WA)

OTHER INFO
Please try to arrange for childcare. However, if you are unable to make arrangements, please bring your child and keep them under your supervision.

If you have any questions about this meeting or need additional information, please contact Lydia King at lking@washingtonea.org or 425-486-7101 ext 12.

Be There! Monday, June 16

Support your bargaining team and your association by joining your NSEA and NESPA colleagues at our Joint NSEA/NESPA General Membership Meeting!

When? Monday, June 16, 2008
Where? Inglemoor High School Gym (for a map of IHS, click here. For driving directions, click here.)
What time? Doors open at 4:00 pm; the meeting starts at 4:30 pm

IMPORTANT:

• Please CARPOOL with NSEA and NESPA members at your building.
  
• Please try to make childcare arrangements. However, if you are unable to do so, please bring your children with you and keep them under your supervision.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Is there enough parking at Inglemoor?
A. There is space for over 500 cars, so there is not enough space if everyone drives alone. Please carpool with one or two colleagues. It will save you from parking away from the school and having to walk a distance.
Q: How do I get to Inglemoor?
A. Inglemoor is located at 15500 Simonds Road NE, Kenmore, WA 98028. For driving directions, please click here.

Q: Why are NSEA and NESPA meeting together?
A: We work together every day, on the same educational team. We are facing similar issues in negotiations. We are both seeking RESPECT as professionals. Last year, in Shoreline, the support association, SESPA, and the certificated SEA joined together to reach a successful conclusion to negotiations. Votes will be done separately. (NSEA members vote on NSEA matters. NESPA members vote on NESPA matters.) Northshore is changing, and we need to change in order to become more effective.

Q: Why should I come?
A. It is essential that you be there, whether or not we have contracts to vote on. As Wood Allen said, “Ninety percent of life is just showing up.” In our negotiations, ninety percent of our success depends on the administration seeing that NSEA and NESPA members actively support their bargaining team. If members are “too busy” to come to this important meeting, it would send them the message that our membership will accept a less-than-favorable contract---that these negotiations are just not that important.

The administration has proposed cuts. We want to improve our professions. If you want to improve your work, be there. It is a simple matter of respect for your Bargaining Team and your colleagues, and understanding that your work-related future is being decided.

Q: What will we do at the meeting?
A: It depends on whether or not we have contracts to vote on. If we have contracts to vote on, we’ll open the meeting together, and then NESPA will move to the cafeteria. We will then review the contracts and answer questions before voting. If we do not have contracts to vote on, it’s still imperative that you be there. You’ll hear updates, meet the Bargaining Teams, and vote on a motion for autumn plans. Your presence shows support for your bargaining team, and respect for your colleagues. Simply being there is, in itself, important, as it sends a message to the administration that you are actively participating in the efforts to secure a good contract.

Q: Will we be able to see the agreement prior to the general membership meeting?A: No. NSEA and NESPA do not release the contract settlement prior to the general membership meeting. We need as many members to attend this meeting as possible to hear the details of the tentative agreement, ask questions, and discuss ratification. If the agreement is released in advance, the tendency is for those who are pleased with it to simply stay home. This can cause the final ratification vote to be skewed.

Q: I can't make the general membership meeting. Can I vote by absentee ballot or by proxy?
A: No. Please make every effort to attend this meeting. According to our bylaws, we need a quorum of at least 20% of our members to attend the general membership meeting.

Q: What happens if we don't have a tentative agreement to vote on? Do we still need to have a meeting?
A: Yes--a general membership meeting is essential regardless of the status of a new contract. If there is no agreement by June 16th, we will be making plans for actions in August and the Autumn that will require your support and active participation. We may be making motions at the general membership meeting about such activities. If no agreement is reached by June 16th, the NSEA and NSD bargaining teams will schedule bargaining sessions in August.

If you have any more questions about the General Membership Meeting on Monday, June 16th, please contact Lydia King at lking@washingtonea.org or 425-486-7101 ext 12.