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Solidarity - August 30, 1999

Volume 33, No. 2
We teach the children ... Collectively we decide ... United we act

RALLY: ALL COMMENTS POSITIVE

Whether at Union headquarters or District headquarters, whether by telephone, card, note, letter or in person, all comments regarding the District/MTI Rally at the Dane County Expo have been positive. The rally accomplished exactly what was intended; to have District staff come together, to have an enjoyable time, and to get the school year off to a great start. Some 3000 District employees gathered at the Expo and did just that. Together, MTI and the District have come a long way and together they have accomplished a great deal. As Superintendent Rainwater said in a note to MTI Executive Director, "Who could have believed about the Rally in April, 1998, we would live to see such a day!"

ADJUSTED SALARY SCHEDULE

At the August 20 rally, MTI Executive Director John Matthews announced that as a result of the Wisconsin Retirement System rolling back the contribution rate by .3 for employers and .3 for employees, that MTI represented teachers and educational assistants would have their salary schedules increased. Such results from agreements negotiated by MTI in the early 1970's that mandated that the District pay both the employer and the employee share of WRS contributions. Both are costed in Contract negotiations. MTI will distribute new salary schedules to all members of MTI's teacher and educational assistants collective bargaining units. MTI is seeking a similar agreement with the District for members of MTI's clerical/technical bargaining unit, SEE-MTI.

LABOR'S BEST KEPT SECRET: COMMUNITY SERVICE

From September 17 through 20, MTI, along with the National Association of Letter Carriers Branch 507, Teamsters Local 695, and the South Central Federation of Labor, will again participate in the largest book collection effort in Dane County history. This project is being organized under the auspices of United Way of Dane County and the United States Postal Service. Books will be collected by letter carriers along their routes for distribution to Dane County children. MTI members can assist by sorting the books by appropriate age/grade. To participate in this important event, please contact United Way/AFL-CIO Community Services Liaison, Ann McNeary, at 608-246-4355 or MTI Executive Assistant for Labor Relations Eve Degen at 257-0491.

INVOLUNTARY TRANSFER

Should the District elect to involuntarily transfer a teacher due to "substantial change in the school's enrollment or substantial program change", the District may do so within the first 25 days of school, but only in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth in Section IV-E of MTI's Teacher Collective Bargaining Agreement. MTI's Contract provides that such transfer "shall be the least senior teacher in the grade level (unit, grade or grade combination; e.g. 1-2) and/or department or subject (whichever is appropriate) from which the transfer must be made".

The Contract as revised in 1999 negotiations, also provides that "any teacher so transferred shall, when reasonably possible, be provided five school days notice of the transfer unless the teacher waives the notice or a portion thereof in writing, and shall be afforded at least two (2) school days in the school to which he/she is transferred to prepare lesson plans prior to assuming the new assignment".

Contact MTI if you have been involuntarily transferred so that MTI can determine if the transfer was made pursuant to the terms and conditions of the Contract.

KEEP YOUR OWN "PERSONNEL" FILE

Record keeping is important. Don't wait for trouble to start before you start keeping records. Having good records are very important if you become involved in a grievance over your contractual rights/benefits or a dismissal hearing. To enable the best possible protection and representation, maintain your own "personnel" file. One should not be dependent upon copies of School District documents.

Your file should contain such documents as: college transcripts, evaluations, accumulated sick leave and days used, payroll stubs, records of student disciplinary referrals, retirement records, personal leave, documentation of honors and awards, notes on student accidents, notes on confrontations with parents or administrators, copies of all correspondence with your supervisor(s) and administrators, and for teachers - individual teacher contracts for each year employed, teacher licenses, teaching assignments by year with subjects taught and number of students.

MTI has furnished all whom it represents with a file for this purpose. As new staff are hired, MTI furnishes them with a file. Additional files can be obtained by calling MTI (257-0491).

VACANCIES - MTI ELECTED POSITIONS

Nominations will be received at the September 21 meeting of the MTI Faculty Representative Council to fill those positions on the MTI Board of Directors, Cabinet on Personnel, Finance Committee, and Political Action Committee, which positions expire in October, 1999. The election will be conducted at the October Council meeting. Board, Cabinet, and Political Action Committee positions are for two-year terms, and Finance Committee positions are for one-year terms. Nominations can be called into MTI Headquarters or made from the floor by an MTI Faculty Representative at the September meeting.

The At-Large member on the Board of Directors whose term expires is Amy Greenebaum (Hawthorne). There is a vacancy for an at-large position as a result of Eric Liljequist's (Falk) election as MTI president-elect . Amy is seeking re-election.

Two positions are open on the Cabinet on Personnel. One as a result of Paula Ferrara-Parrish's election as MTI President; the other as a result of Stuart Dymzarov's term expiring. Dymzarov is seeking re-election.

On the Finance Committee, terms expire for Ruthann Lewis (Midvale), Bob Prugh (West) and Dick Varichak (Whitehorse). All are seeking re-election.

Four positions are open on MTI's Political Action Committee. Terms expire for Pat Mooney (Emerson), Hall Hardy (Jefferson), Tom Grogg (Lincoln) and Jamie Mawhinney (Stephens). Mooney, Hardy & Grogg are seeking re-election.

PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES

While the Madison Metropolitan School District proposed in negotiations for the 1999-2001 Collective Bargaining Agreement the modification of the parent-teacher conference provision in the Agreement, there was no agreement reached to change the existing Contract language. Therefore, the terms and conditions of the Contract continue to provide the following:

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: The MTI/MMSD Collective Bargaining Agreement provides that parent-teacher conferences,if scheduled, shall be scheduled within the normal school day. The Contract also provides that, in addition to the Monday early release time, conferences SHALL BE HELD on one scheduled workday per year. The Contract enables a teacher and principal, by mutual agreement, to adjust the starting and ending time for this day in order to accommodate parents who work during the day. Should a parent be unable to be present during the school day AND A TEACHER AGREES to hold the conference on other than regular school hours, the contract provides that the teacher be granted compensatory time off in accordance with the terms of the Contract. The date of the compensatory day for a teacher who works beyond the regular contractual day cannot be unilaterally established by management, or even by a vote of the teachers. Conferences are in lieu of the report cards for the reporting periods in which they are held. No written summary of the conference by the teacher is required. Principals CANNOT unilaterally set evening conferences.

MIDDLE SCHOOL: According to the MTI/MMSD Collective Bargaining Agreement, parent-teacher conferences, if scheduled, shall be scheduled within the school day. Should a parent be unable to be present during the specified time AND THE TEACHER AGREES to hold the conference on other than regular school hours, the Contract provides that the teacher be granted compensatory time off in accordance with the terms of the Contract. Principals CANNOT unilaterally set evening conferences. The date of the compensatory day for a teacher who works beyond the regular contractual day cannot be unilaterally established by management, or even by a vote of the teachers.

HIGH SCHOOL: According to the MTI/MMSD Collective Bargaining Agreement, parent-teacher conferences, if scheduled, shall be scheduled within the school day. Should a parent be unable to be present during the specified time AND THE TEACHER AGREES to hold the conference on other than regular school hours, the Contract provides that the teacher be granted compensatory time off in accordance with the terms of the Contract. No written record of the conference need be made by the teacher. Any clerical/scheduling work will be performed by the PTO or similar group. Principals CANNOT unilaterally set evening conferences. The date of the compensatory day for a teacher who works beyond the regular contractual day cannot be unilaterally established by management, or even by a vote of the teachers.

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Posted November 4, 1999