April 10, 2013

Successor Collective Bargaining Agreement Negotiations Update #3

This session of negotiations was largely about health benefits for the next contract year.  Initial information was presented and discussions were held.  This area is a works in progress zone, as discussions with the provider (Anthem) and the Benefits Committee are in process.  More discussions and negotiations are anticipated once all of the information has been examined and fine-tuned.”

Article 3, specifically, prep time, continues to be a priority in our negotiations. Ideas from both parties were shared and compared for consideration.  Preserving the teachers sense of value to the district by respecting the needs of the position remains utmost in NMFT’s positioning and negotiations.  More options are to be researched and studied at future negotiation sessions.

The R&R process and how to streamline the process year-to-year is under examination at this time. Helpful input from Elementary and Secondary education
R&R representatives are being sought. As a component of the contract, changes to the process may be re-negotiated.  Those who were able to wear their blue in support of the negotiations team are to be commended.  Your visible statement of unity with the NMFT negotiations team does make a difference.  Our next bargaining session is set for Friday, April 26th.

In Solidarity,

Your Bargaining Team: Patrick DeVusser, Jaymi Ropp, Jean Bain, and Nicholas Dix

Check with your Site Rep for our next show of support on April 26th!

March 29, 2013

Successor Collective Bargaining Agreement Negotiations Update #2
In these negotiations our joint goal is to come to a “tentative agreement (TA)” on each of the contested contract articles. When all the articles have been resolved, the entire TA document will be submitted to N-MFT union members for ratification.
Discussions and team caucuses provide the opportunities for understanding an eventual agreement, compromise, or stalemate.
This meeting’s attendees included;  Nicholas Dix, Jaymi Ropp, Jean Bain, and Patrick DeVusser  for N-MFT and John Caldecott, John Drake, Kurt Suhr, and Kirk Bauermeister for N-MUSD.
Lengthy and valuable discourse took place between both sides regarding teacher prep time equity; specifically K-6 conference time preparation and Special Education meeting scheduling.
Information regarding the district’s current Specialists Program support plan was presented by the district and N-MFT provided some additional information to be researched for later discussions.
The district concluded the meeting with presenting their ideas for prep time equity.  These ideas will be reviewed in depth before the next negotiating session set for April 10th.
Your support for the negotiation team was strongly displayed at several school sites.
 It is greatly needed to impress the district’s administrators that members of the N-MFT are squarely behind our bargaining efforts at these meetings.

Please show your support once again on April 10 by wearing blue!

March 18, 2013

2013-2014 Contract Negotiations begin:
The negotiating sessions to develop and ratify a successor Collective Bargaining Contract between N-MFT and NMUSD started today.  
Representing N-MFT were Nicholas Dix, Jean Bain, Jaymi Ropp, and Patrick DeVusser.
On NMUSD’s behalf were, John Caldecott, John Drake, and Kurt Suhr.

Initial ground rules were established with meeting dates and times established and agreed to.
First day discussions included spirited conversations regarding conference and preparation time inequalities throughout the district.  Attempts to establish and understand these times throughout the district revealed the complexity of the existing situation.  All present agreed that more fact finding was needed before our next session, set for March 29th.
Discussions on IEP time commitments and hours of obligation for bargaining unit members were initiated and will be resumed at our next meeting.
This update is provided to help keep our bargaining members informed of the negotiating proceedings.  It is our intent to continue these updates following each session. Due to the critical nature of some topics and the need to retain strategic advantages within the negotiations, not all details of topics discussed will be released until a Tentative Agreement on an issue is obtained.  

We are there negotiating on your behalf, let’s be strong and united.

Your Negotiating Team

Here are the results from our contract ratification vote which overwhelmingly passed!

98.5% voted in favor of ratifying our new contract

1.5% voted against ratifying our new contract

Click here for Tentative Agreement 2012-2013

I hope your summer vacations are off to a great start, and that you've gotten a chance to relax after working so hard this school year. I’m writing today to share a resolution, on ending the testing fixation in schools, that the AFT Executive Council will be recommending at Convention in a few weeks. There is a petition running to build support for the resolution, and I encourage you to sign and then share the petition with your networks. The petition isn’t just for AFT members, but for anyone who agrees that testing should not eclipse teaching in classrooms. Please join me in supporting this resolution and in standing up for meaningful teaching and learning in our schools.

In solidarity,                                                                                                                                                                                    

Josh Pechthalt, President

California Federation of Teachers

While every year has its challenges, 2012 is shaping up to be a year full of demands-and hope. At the local level, we are fortunate to have fewer financial burdens than many other districts. However, that does not get us off the hook to support  ways to work toward a statewide funding structure that will benefit all California's students!