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To endure means “to last for a long time”, to persist, to continue, to hold on, to hold up, or to prevail”.  I preface all of the above to convey the following truth: 

We are enduring challenging times.

Ever since mid-March, we have been on {what may feel like} a merry-go-round of ups and downs dealing with the fear and threat of COVID-19, the unexpected demands of working remotely, the trauma that accompanies the level of social injustice and political unrest in our nation, and now to mention, the tentative reopening of schools while COVID-19 is still labeled as a pandemic. Some are grieving the loss of a loved one due to COVID-19 or other related illnesses. Others are afraid, anxious, and restless from worries of becoming ill, or having to choose between their health/safety vs. staying 100% salaried to cover household costs. Is this you? If not, it could be. In all actuality, it could be any one of us.  Amid all of the above, we are enduring! We are fighting to chart through uncharted terrain. In fact, that makes us pioneers. YES, You, my fellow brother, my fellow sister, are a pioneer! 

I would like you to take this time to think about some of the lessons that you have learned during this time. During this time, I have been reminded of Aristotle’s words, “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts”. In more modern terms, “United we stand, divided we fall”. If anything, these trying times have taught me that “no man is an island”. We need each other. We need to see a smile from someone, hear an encouraging word, and know that we are understood and supported. We need to care for each other, our families, and ourselves. It is my hope that one of your lessons has been to value and appreciate the people and things that truly matter to you, including yourself. Never take time and life for granted! And I add, that we should never take each other for granted. Every member of our union matters. You matter! Your voice matters! Your concerns matter! On behalf of the UACHS AFT LOCAL 6272 Executive Team, we hope you feel supported. Please feel free to contact us with any of your concerns. We are here for you. We will be contacting you soon with updates regarding our tentative re-opening plans in September.

Continue to be safe, stay well, practice social distancing, and wear your mask! In other words, take care of yourself and your family.

In Unity and Solidarity,

Keisha N. Terry, Local 6272 President

Susan Suarez, Local 6272 Vice President

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Photo of AFT President Randi Weingarten addressing TEACH 2023

The AFT has always been a solutions-driven union, and our new campaign, launched during TEACH on July 21, proves it once again with a fresh, practical approach to strengthening public education. As AFT President Randi Weingarten pointed out during her keynote speech, the $5 million, yearlong campaign, “Real Solutions for Kids and Communities,” stands up against attacks on public schools and offers real-world solutions to build up, rather than break down, our communities.

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Randi Weingarten at a Massachusetts high school

Summer is upon us, and parents, children and teachers are winding down from what has been an exhausting and fully operational school year—the first since the devastating pandemic. The long-lasting impact of COVID-19 has affected our students’ and families’ well-being and ignited the politics surrounding public schools. All signs point to the coming school year unfolding with the same sound and fury, and if extremist culture warriors have their way, being even more divisive and stressful.

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What unions do

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In AFT President Randi Weingarten’s latest New York Times  column, she describes what it is exactly that unions do. Though unions are the most popular they have been in decades, anti-union sentiment still thrives in red states and across the nation. “Several years ago, The Atlantic ran a story whose headline made even me, a labor leader, scratch my head: ‘Union Membership: Very Sexy,’” Weingarten writes in the column. “The gist was that higher wages, health benefits and job security—all associated with union membership—boost one’s chances of getting married. Belonging to a union doesn’t actually guarantee happily ever after, but it does help working people have a better life in the here and now.” Click through to read the full column.

 

Your Negotiating Team met with the School on December 14th for our first working session. Our next session is schedule for Monday, January 11th.

 

We will be scheduling negotiating sessions on a regular basis in an attempt to reach a fair and equitable settlement. And we will be posting updates on this site after each session.

 

We want to thank all those unit members who participated in the bargaining survey, and we will strive to focus on the issues important to you.

 

As always, thanks for your patience and support.


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Please click here to Download the UACHS Contract and here to download the UACHS Constitution.

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One of the most vital functions of a Union is to prevent management from intimidating employees.  Nowhere is this more important than in closed-door meetings when supervisors attempt to coerce employees into a confession of wrongdoing.

The right of employees to have the presence of union representatives during investigatory interviews was announced by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1975 in NLRB vs. J. Weingarten, Inc.  Since that case involved a clerk being investigated by the Weingarten Company, these rights have become known as the Weingarten rights.

Unions should encourage workers to assert their Weingarten rights.  The presence of a union representative can help in many ways.  For example:

·      They can help a fearful or inarticulate employee explain what happened.

·      They can raise extenuating factors.

·      They can advise an employee against blindly denying everything, thereby giving the appearance of dishonesty and guilt.

·      They can help prevent an employee from making fatal admissions.

·      They can stop an employee from losing his or her temper, and perhaps getting fired for insubordination.

·      They can serve as a witness to prevent supervisors from giving a false account of the conversation.


WHAT IS AN INVESTIGATORY INTERVIEW

Employees have Weingarten rights only during investigatory interviews.  An investigatory interview occurs when a supervisor questions an employee to obtain information that could be used as a basis for discipline or asks an employee to defend his or her conduct.  If an employee has a reasonable belief that discipline or other adverse consequences may result from what he or she says, the employee has a right to request union representation.  Investigatory interviews usually relate to subjects such as:

·      absenteeism

·      accidents

·      damage to company property

·      drinking

·      drugs

·      falsification of records

·      fighting

·      insubordination

·      lateness

·      poor attitude

·      sabotage

·      theft

·      violation of safety rules

·      work performance

If an employee has determined that disciplinary action may result from the investigatory interview, a simple statement such as:

“If this discussion could in any way lead to my being disciplined or terminated, or affect my personal working conditions, I respectfully request that my union representative, officer, or steward be present at the meeting.  Without representation, I choose not to answer any questions.”

would be enough to enforce their federally protected rights.


WEINGARTEN RULES

Under the Supreme Court’s Weingarten decision, when an investigatory interview occurs, the following rules apply:

RULE 1:   The employee must make a clear request for union representation before or during the interview.  The employee cannot be punished for making this request.

RULE 2:   After the employee makes the request, the employer must choose from among three options.  The employer must either:

  1. Grant the request and delay questioning until the union representative arrives and has a chance to consult privately with the employee; or
  2. Deny the request and end the interview immediately; or
  3. Give the employee a choice of:

1.    having the interview without representation; or

2.    ending the interview.

RULE 3:   If the employer denies a request for union representation, and continues to ask questions, they have committed an unfair labor practice and the employee has a right to refuse to answer.  The employer may not discipline the employee for such a refusal.

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