ARTICLE 5-ASSOCIATION RIGHTS
5.1 Member Participation in Organization
The District recognizes the right of unit members covered by this Agreement to form, join, and participate in the lawful activities of employee organizations, and the District also recognizes that unit members have the right to refuse to form, join, and participate in employee organization activities.
5.2 Exercise of Association Rights
Neither the District nor the Association shall interfere with, intimidate, restrain, coerce, or discriminate against unit members because of the exercise of association rights, as long as the exercise of such rights does not interfere with job duties and/or performance of unit members.
5.3 Right of Access
With prior notification to the site administrator and provided there is no conflict with the instructional program or the normal flow of business, the authorized representatives of the Association shall have the right of reasonable access during non-work times (e.g., meals, breaks, before and after work) to areas in which employees work. These access rights shall not be granted to any other school employee organization.
5.4 Bulletin Boards, Mail Service
The Association shall have the right to use, without charge and to the extent permitted by law, institutional bulletin boards which have been established at the work sites, mailboxes, the school mail system, and other District means of communication for the posting or transmission of information or notices concerning Association matters. A courtesy copy of any posted information will be given to the site administrator.
5.5 Use of Equipment
The Association shall have the right to use, without charge, non-technical institutional equipment, facilities, and buildings at reasonable times so as not to interfere with the instructional program, or when not required for use by the District, for association organizational matters. These rights shall not extend to the use of District Office supplies (not to include mimeograph ink and duplicating fluid).
5.6 Seniority Roster
Upon request, the Association shall be supplied with a complete seniority roster of all bargaining unit members as soon as practicable following such a request. The roster shall indicate the unit member’s present classification, date of hire, work site(s), hours per day, months per year.
5.7 Board of Education Agenda
The Association shall be provided with three (3) advance copies of all Board of Education meeting complete agendas and the right to notification in advance of formal recommendations to the Board affecting unit members’ employment status rights which have not been addressed in this Agreement.
Association Release Time5.8
The Association shall be allowed, without cost to the Association, up to sixty (60)
days or four-hundred eighty (480) hours of release time to utilize for conferences and for conducting other business pertinent to the Association’s role as the Exclusive
Representative. Such Association designated unit members shall suffer no loss in
compensation. It shall be the responsibility of the Association, except in case of emergency, to inform the District at least forty-eight (48) hours in advance of a member’s absence.
9Any absence of five (5) or more consecutive full or partial days, with the exception of days requested on behalf of National Education Association Representative Assembly delegates, must be approved in advance by the Superintendent/designee. Any denial shall be for justifiable reasons.
5.8.1 The District shall, in addition to 5.8 above, provide the Association President with one-hundred eighty (180) days of release time to utilize for conferences and for conducting other business pertinent to the Association’s role as the Exclusive Representative. The Association President shall suffer no loss in compensation. Except in cases of emergency, it shall be the responsibility of the Association President to inform the District at least forty-eight (48) hours in advance of his/her absence.
Should the President’s duties require time beyond that allotted in the above paragraph, the Association shall reimburse the District at the rate of the daily substitute used.
Any absence of five (5) or more consecutive full or partial days, with the exception of attendance at the National Education Association Representative Assembly, must be approved in advance by the Superintendent/designee. Any denial shall be for justifiable reasons.
Upon expiration of the term(s) of office, the President will, if possible, be returned to his/her previous position, or otherwise be afforded first choice of any available position for which he/she is qualified.
5.8.2 Release time utilized at the request of the District and approved by the Superintendent/Designee shall not be deducted from the above referenced days.
5.9 Collective Bargaining Agreement Copies
Within a reasonable period of time after the execution of this Agreement, the District shall make available copies of this Agreement to every member in the bargaining unit. A copy of this Agreement shall be made available to any employee who becomes a member of the bargaining unit after the execution of this Agreement. At the same time, the Association shall be provided with fifty (50) copies per year of the Agreement.
5.10 Notification of Accrued Leave
Prior to December 1 of each year, every unit member shall be notified in writing by the District of his/her accumulated sick leave and vacation day accrual.
5.11 Membership Meetings
Night shift employees shall be permitted to absent themselves from their jobs to attend Association Representative Council and general membership meetings, provided that the attendance is at the employee’s option, that the supervisor receives advance notification of not less than one (1) full workday, that the employee signs out upon leaving for the meeting, that the employee signs in upon returning from the meeting, that all time missed for this attendance is made up on the evening of such attendance, that the supervisor receives written certification signed by the Association president of the employee’s attendance at the meeting, and that the employee shall not be eligible for any form of premium pay as a result of the extended work hours.
5.11.1 Members of the Association Executive Board may attend Executive Board meetings on the same basis.
5.12 Site Representatives
10The Association reserves the right to designate the number and method of selection of Site Representatives.
5.12.1 Notification to District
The Association shall notify the District in writing of the name(s) of the Site Representative(s) who will be the Association contact(s) for that site. The District shall be advised in writing of any changes.
5.12.2 Association Staff Assistance
The designated Site Representative(s) shall be entitled to seek and obtain assistance from Association staff personnel as long as the site supervisor of each individual involved in this process determines that there is no disruption to the unit member’s work responsibilities.
5.13 Names, Addresses, Assignments
Names, addresses, and assignments of District employees shall be provided without cost to the Association as soon as possible during the first semester. Information regarding new contract members shall be provided as soon as possible after their employment.
5.14 Committee Representation
Any school, site, or District committee established to make decisions or recommendations regarding site based decision making/restructuring that could affect any terms of employment or working conditions covered by this Agreement shall have classified representation appointed by the Association.