May 5-6, 2019
Dear Colleagues,
When thinking of the possibility of having a union at Mundo Verde, I don’t just think about the impact it will have on staff but I also think about what the impact will be at a school level. The limitations on creating and developing new projects will be noticeable. I want to be fully informed and that is my right as a worker before a vote. I still have questions and encourage others to seek answers to their questions.
Are you certain that new projects won’t be impacted? Has AFT shared a finalized charter union contract with the team? If so, can you please share it with all of us to review. I would like to see how AFT captured the charter’s mission and culture in a contract. If not, can you ask AFT to share it with us?
Last Wednesday, I asked about the specific goals. For example, when you say “communal protections,” “accountability” and “work environment” what is it referring to? Security guards on site, smaller class sizes, salary increases, etc.?
There are other questions that I would like to hear/read an answer to. Joe mentioned in a response to Rodrigo’s email that the union “is democratic and includes the input of every member.” I would like to know how the vote will be weighted if non-instructional staff are the minority? For example, smaller class sizes. That is ideal for teachers but not so great for non-instructional because reducing enrollment will decrease Mundo Verde’s budget, as it was explained at the board meeting, thereby cutting on non-instructional/non-classroom staff positions. Please don’t say that my job will be secured because that would mean financial assistance provided to needy families and students (meals, uniforms, transportation, extended day, etc.) will be impacted one way or another.
Would it be possible to get answers to the questions Rodrigo shared on his email. I think more than one person would like to know the answer to those.
Looking forward to the responses and a productive dialog.
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May 9, 2019
Good Morning to all,
I’ve been waiting for a response to my email and since voting is next week I searched for answers because if we learned anything from the 2016 presidential election it is to be well informed. Yesterday, I attended the info session that Angel Cornejo is providing for all of us. All my questions were answered without heighten tension which is something I can’t say when I attended a union staff meeting last Wednesday. Although, staff apologized it was clear that asking questions or having a different opinion was not the norm. I encourage all to attend the info session this week with Angel. Here is what I learned:
Is having a union the only way to request higher salaries?
Activity Outside a Union: Employees who are not represented by a union also have rights under the NLRA. Specifically, the National Labor Relations Board protects the rights of employees to engage in “concerted activity”, which is when two or more employees take action for their mutual aid or protection regarding terms and conditions of employment. A single employee may also engage in protected concerted activity if he or she is acting on the authority of other employees, bringing group complaints to the employer’s attention, trying to induce group action, or seeking to prepare for group action. A few examples of protected concerted activities are:
Two or more employees addressing their employer about improving their pay.
Two or more employees discussing work-related issues beyond pay, such as safety concerns, with each other.
An employee speaking to an employer on behalf of one or more co-workers about improving workplace conditions.
More information, including descriptions of actual concerted activity cases, is available on the protected concerted activity page.
Source: https://www.nlrb.gov/rights-we-protect/rights/employee-rights
If we no longer want to be represented by the union, can it be possible?
Yes, the majority of the employees can petition the NLRB to stop the process. That means that if 59 out of 115 staff members say right now that we want to stop this process before a vote, we can and that is our right!
If the vote is “yes” on May 15th to be part of the union then we have to wait after the first year during contract negotiations to request NLRB that we no longer want to be represented by the union. The majority of staff would need to agree.
If after a contract is finalized, we decide to no longer want to be a part of the union we have to wait 2 ½ years before we petition the NLRB that we don’t want to be unionized. The majority of staff would need to agree.
If the vote is “yes” on May 15, are we already part of the union?
No, that means that negotiations can begin. It is not until the union finalizes a contract that is approved, by the majority of the members, that we become part of the union.
In regards to voting, what is the difference between Group A and Group B?
Group A will have two questions to vote for. One question is to whether we want Group B to join Group A and the second question is whether we want to be a part of the union.
If the majority of Group A votes “yes” for the first question, then all votes from Group A and B will be counted together to decide based on majority rule, the outcome of the question of whether we choose AFT as our representative.
If the majority of Group A votes “no” on the first question, then the votes from Group B will be counted separately. In this case, each group’s votes will be counted separately and decided based on the majority in each groups. We could have Group A unionized, Group B unionized or both Group A and Group B unionized into separate groups.
With a union, what can we collectively bargain for?
A union contract only covers 3 main areas to bargain under the law. The 3 areas are Wages, Benefits and Working Conditions.
If as union members we decide to bargain for representation in MV’s Board, smaller class sizes or supplies, is it possible?
Under the law, the union and MV have to bargain in good faith but neither have to agree. If members, with the support of the union, decide to strike to pressure the company (MV) to agree to the request, they can do that but ultimately the company (MV) can still not agree to the request. If there is no agreement, there is another process to follow in which it will decide whether the request falls within the scope of what the union contract covers (Wages, Benefits, Working Conditions) or it gets dismissed.
Do I have to pay union dues? If so, how much?
Yes, there are union dues to pay after a contract has been finalized whether you voted “yes” or “no” everyone pays dues. The AFT has a specific formula in calculating how much the dues are. You should be able to find the formula in the AFT Constitution and Bylaws. If you want to know how much does the AFT collects from all members, you can review their financial report to know more information. Keep in mind that the AFT is also a company and will require payment for a service. Union dues will be taken automatically from the paycheck, just like taxes, even if I refuse to pay.
What happens if there is a strike but I don’t want to participate?
The union can fine you for whichever amount they want. Example, during a strike I decide to work and earn $300 then the fine can be in the amount of $300. I don’t have to pay this fine but then the union can request the company to fire me because I’m not in good standing with them (PLEASE read the AFT Constitution and Bylaws).
We are expanding to a second campus, do new employees get to decide whether they want to join the union?
CORRECTION: The new campus is not included in this vote and will not be included in negotiations. Having been in the DCPS union where all become part of the union I should've clarified this part. Apologies.
Is there a possibility that our salaries or benefits get reduced in a contract?
During collective bargaining, everything (salaries, benefits and working conditions) is put on the table to bargain. You have to remember that MV’s budget depends on enrollment and this amount can not increase just because we want to. If we want higher salaries, the company (MV) can say “sure, but the benefits will change to reduce cost.” If we want higher salaries and more affordable benefits, the company (MV) can say “no, but we can provide more vacation days” or “sure, but vacation days will be reduced.”
MV’s budget is cut into smaller budgets to cover costs throughout the school so increasing the cost of salaries/benefits means reducing the budget amount that Operations or RTI or building maintenance receives for the year. Remember from the budget meeting that PCSB requires the school to keep money set aside for a minimum of 45 days to cover costs or else the school can be brought to the PCSB Board to close for not managing finances accordingly.
Are full time employees bargained differently than part time employees?
Not necessarily but it all depends in give and take during collective bargaining. The contract might better benefit full time employees and keep part time employees with the same salary/benefits or the contract can include great benefits for part time employees by reducing salaries from full time employees.