Dear Colleagues,
Below please find this week's notices.
Know your Contract!
Our Contractual Paid Leave Benefits are quite extensive, generous, and somewhat complex.We will show you what those benefits are, and how to exercise them. And we will keep it simple.
For today, Chris and I will present your rights to sick leave and "other" paid leave--leaving the discussion of paid parental leave to another post.
Sick Leave
Sick leave days, also known as personal illness days, are for the injury or illness of the employee.
From your sick days, you may use up to 14 per year for the illness or injury of a family member or dear friend. These are called family illness days.
You DO NOT have to ask for permission to use a personal illness or family illness day.
If you will be out, you should simply report your absence in the Frontline Absence Management System and follow any other building or program based instructions for reporting your absence.
You cannot be asked for documentation regarding such an absence unless you have been out for six or more consecutive days.
If you are out for six or more days, you MAY be asked for documentation. While HR might send you the FMLA forms in this instance, our contract allows for you to submit a letter instead of the FMLA form. It is often simpler for you and for your medical provider to supply a letter rather than fill out the FMLA form. The letter must be on letterhead, and have the medical provider’s signature. It must contain the following information:
Employee’s name
Approximate date the illness or injury commenced
A description of the injury, illness or medical condition
A statement that the employee is not able to perform his/her position
The expected return to work date
Other Paid Leave
Personal Days: Each year, you are allocated two days that can be used for “urgent personal business" as judged by the employee.
You do not have to ask permission to use your personal days.
If you will be out, you should report that in the Frontline Absence Management System and follow any other building or program based instructions for reporting your absence.
You cannot be asked to say why you are using a personal day.
The only contractual restriction: personal days cannot be used to “extend a holiday or vacation or facilitate travel plans.”
To be perfectly clearly: You CAN use your personal days for urgent personal business adjacent to a holiday or vacation; you CANNOT use them to extend that holiday or vacation or to facilitate travel plans.
When you take a personal day on a day that is adjacent to a holiday or vacation time, you CAN be asked to confirm that you are not taking it to extend the holiday or vacation or facilitate travel plans. That is the only question you can be asked.
You CANNOT be asked to provide the specific use of those days.
“Other” Days: You have up to four (4) paid leave days that can be used for specific purposes as set out in the contract. You do not have to ask for permission to use these days, but may in some instances be asked for supporting documentation:
Bereavement related to the death of a close family member or dear friend.
Holy Days
Court Appearance by Summons
Commencement exercises: Limited to those where the employee or their spouse or child will be awarded a degree or diploma.
Absence caused by an automobile accident on your way to work. Limited to the day of the accident only.
Up to two (2) days if your attendance is required by an educational institution where you are enrolled. There are certain restrictions and this leave must be approved by the Superintendent.
Selective Service examination
To attend the MTA Annual meeting
Accumulation of sick, personal, and other days:
Unused Personal Illness Days accumulate year over year;
Unused Family illness days do not accumulate; you may use only fourteen in any given year;
Unused Personal Days accumulate as Personal Illness Days;
Unused "Other" Days do not accumulate.
There are, of course, finer points to much of this. For now, we would like to keep it simple: if you are using your Personal Illness Days, Family Illness Days, Urgent Personal Days, or "Other" days, report these in the Frontline Absence Management System and follow any other building or program based instructions for reporting your absence.
You do not need to ask permission from HR or your building supervisor to exercise any of these basic contractual rights.
Shooting in Newton
Ashley Raven, NECP, NTA Executive Committee Member
I am sharing with you a message that Ashley Raven posted on our "All CAT Captains' Signal Chat. I think you would all agree that the conversations --or lack thereof sometimes--around Israel, Gaza and Hamas are terribly painful for all. So, why send out Ashley's post?
I think it would be helpful to first say what Ashley's post is not:
It is NOT a union position statement about the conflict;
It is not intended to "represent our voices" as union members; there are many perspectives, many voices, and our union is not purporting to represent this multiplicity;
These are words of wise council, caution, and comfort from one union member that, in my opinion, all of us, not only the CAT Captains, could benefit from hearing. So by including them here, I am amplifying Ashley's words across our union. I hope you find them as wise as I do.
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As we go to our buildings and talk to our union siblings, I'd urge all of us to be cautious about how we talk about this. People's feelings are very raw, and informed by their own unique background/perspective/trauma/generational trauma etc. If you share information, stick to the known facts without ascribing value.
There was a pro-Israel protest/demonstration.
There was a shouting altercation between a protester and a counter protester.
The counter protester charged and tackled a pro-Israel protester.
The pro-Israel protester had a legal license to carry a gun, and had that gun in his possession.
The gun was discharged. The police are looking into the specifics of that action.
The counter protester was hit by the bullet and sustained life threatening injuries.
The counter-protester had a right to voice his opposition AND he chose to use violence rather than walking away as things escalated.
The protester had a right to protest/demonstrate, was charged at and tackled by a stranger AND we have an absolutely terrifying, rampant, and seemingly increasing problem with gun violence in our country.
Our community (both local and federal) continues to become more polarized and the increase of both violent rhetoric and action is palpable and scary.
On October 7th, the world saw the most violent and fatal attack on the Jewish community since the Holocaust. There are still hostages in captivity. There has been a noticeable and demonstrable increase in antisemitism.
Since October 7th, the world has seen a military conflict that has killed more than 41,000 innocent civilians. Those that have survived face unimaginable famine, disease, and lack of medical care. There has been a noticeable and demonstrable increase in anti-Muslim sentiment.
We, members of the Jewish community, are in pain, angry, scared and more. We are not a monolith. There are MANY different feelings related to the conflict, including people who unequivocally and vehemently disagree with Netanyahu's handling of the war.
The Muslim/Arab/Palestinian communities are in pain, angry, scared, and more. There are many who were/are absolutely horrified and disgusted by the acts of Hamas on October 7.
When we have big feelings, it can be easy for us to hear things that are not being said. It can also be easy for us to say things that have an impact different than our intention.
I know what I'm saying may seem like I am trying to take the processing of feelings out of the discussion, but that is the exact opposite of my goal. My goal is to say that we are all going to need to process our feelings, AND it is absolutely crucial that we try to create as safe a space as possible for our union siblings to be able to lean on each other regardless of upbringing, history, ethnic, or religious background, etc. We need to wrap each other in union love and support and say: "I see your pain. I have pain, too. Even if our pain is not the same, I will acknowledge and validate yours."
I'm sure I've missed something, or worded something in a way I didn't mean, but I've already written a novel, so I'll stop here. Be safe. Lean on each other. Actively listen to each other with the intent to truly understand. Make our union a safe haven in this very very scary world.
-Ashley Raven, NECP; NTA Executive Committee Member
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In solidarity,
Mike Zilles, President
Newton Teachers Association
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