Dear Colleagues,
There are two things I would like to draw your attention on our NTA website at NewTeach.org.
1. We now have a "Know Your Contract" tab on the website where we collect the information we have shared through this EBulletin. To date, we have published information on sick leave, other paid leave, and on the job injury benefits.
2. Although this is not new, we have up on the website the MOA we signed in February of 2024, the 2020-2023 contracts for all Units, and the 2024-2027 salary schedules for all units. These can be found here.
We are currently consolidating the February MOA with the 2020-2023 contracts, and should have completed 2024-2027 contracts soon....
Know your Contract! (new)
Parental Leave
The HR office has created a clear, accurate, and overall excellent slide deck explaining your parental leave benefits and responsibilities. They include a link to a spreadsheet on slide seven that allows you to calculate how many paid days you may be on leave based on your banked personal sick days.
In our new contract, members are now guaranteed 40 days of paid parental leave, but, depending on how many personal sick days they have banked, they may be entitled to take up to 60 days paid. The district pays the first 20 days of leave, then the member may use up to 40 of their own personal illness days to be paid for up to 40 additional days. If a member has saved fewer than 40 personal illness days, the district will pay additional days for them directly, up to a total of maximum of 20 more days.
The easiest and most accurate way to determine how many paid days for which you are eligible is to use the spreadsheet that is found on slide seven of the Human Resources slide deck on parental leave, which accurately calculates paid days based on the formula we agreed to in our last negotiations.
Entering sick days, personal days, etc., into Frontline
On Friday, October 4th, the HR office sent out guidelines on how to enter absences into Frontline based on the type of day you will be entering. HR shared these guidelines with Chris and me before they sent them out. They accurately reflect your contractual rights.
Sick days for Part Time Educators
Please note that there is an important change in practice for allocating sick days to part time educators that is explained in this update.
In the past, if you worked part time--let's say, for example, half time--you were given half the normal allocation of sick days at the beginning of the year--seven instead of fifteen (they rounded down). Now, you will be given the full allocation of fifteen days. However, when you are out, you record the time you are out differently. If, for example, on a Tuesday, you normally only work half time, you still record a full day off, because, for you, a half day is your normal "full time day." In other words, instead of pro-rating sick days when they are allocated, now HR is pro-rating sick days when you use them. The NTA advocated for this change of practice, as it is simpler, and more equitable.
Kindergarten Aides Update
Yes, we won our arbitration to restore kindergarten aides, AND the SC is appealing the arbitrator's decision.
We are currently in the stage called "briefing" where the two sides file with the court their written memoranda in support of their respective positions. Once briefing concludes (about mid-October), then a hearing will be scheduled. After a hearing, then the judge will make a decision. If we win at that point (which in all likelihood we will), they do have an option to take it further up the appeals chain.
We met with K teachers this week to strategize putting pressure on the School Committee to honor our contract and the arbitrators decision by restoring kindergarten aides NOW.
Save the date of Monday, October 21, 2024 for an NTA Action in support of Restoring Kindergarten Aides at that evening’s School Committee Meeting.
Protecting Our Contract
Last year we came together in solidarity to fight for a fair contract. Our historic strike was just the culmination of that work — we showed our solidarity for more than a year leading up to the strike by coming out for marches and rallies, signing petitions, participating in work to rule, saying “no” to voluntary activities, and so much more. And as a result of our solidarity and strength, we not only achieved a significant contract victory, but we also preserved important rights in our contract against attempts by the district to limit or eliminate them.
We proved our strength. We need to continue to use our strength to protect the contract we fought so hard for. We protect our contract by using the grievance process to hold the district accountable for adhering to the terms of the contract.
If you are wondering if something is permitted by the contract, or if you have concerns regarding your pay, benefits, or working conditions, seek out your building representative for support.
A grievance is broadly defined as “a dispute, claim, or controversy by an employee or employees concerning rates of pay, hours or working conditions, or the interpretation or application of the terms of [the contract].”
Your building representatives can help you determine whether your concern rises to the level of a grievance as it is broadly defined. They can also support you in bringing the grievance to the attention of the appropriate person. Our building reps can also seek support from members of our Professional Rights and Responsibilities Committee.
The most important thing you can do in making sure your contractual rights are protected is to ask someone if you think they aren't, and be willing to do something if they are not.
When you say--"Oh, I don't want to cause trouble; it's not a big deal," or when you say, "I'm afraid I will be perceived as a trouble-maker if I go to the union and file a grievance"--then we are all at risk of losing the very contractual rights we fought so hard to win.
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In solidarity,
Mike Zilles, President
Newton Teachers Association
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