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HISTORY OF THE SCHOOL SECRETARIES' CHAPTER
Our Strength is in our Unity
By Jackie Ervolina and Abe Levine
Do you ever stay up nights wondering how School Secretaries came to be a part of the United Federation of Teachers?
Well, let us ease your insomnia with the following historical perspective. As you probably already know, School Secretaries, by nature, are sensitive, perceptive and highly intelligent, if not darn near brilliant. A long time ago, some of our secretarial colleagues realized that there was strength in unity and worked tirelessly to join ranks with teachers in affiliating with the young, aspiring union movement in the schools, the United Federation of Teachers.
You see, before l960, School Secretaries were represented by the "Secretaries' Association," an independent group that attempted to negotiate with the board on behalf of its members. They were a small group with no union affiliation. Just like teachers before the UFT was formed, School Secretaries tried, but they were often powerless to persuade the board to meet their demands.
Goldie Colodny, a school secretary and union advocate, and others saw a different way to meet the needs of School Secretaries. They believed that with the support and strength of an organization comprised of colleagues who shared the same work environment, their quiet voice could be transformed into a shout through union solidarity.
You could say that Goldie Colodny gave birth to the Secretaries' Chapter of the UFT, and you would be right. She served as the School Secretary at P.S.66X for many years. As a result of her determination, the UFT challenged the independent Secretaries' Association in a collective bargaining election not long after the UFT itself came into existence. It was a heated election campaign, but the UFT won recognition as the collective bargaining agent for School Secretaries and the UFT negotiated the first contract for Secretaries in July, l965.
From the start, the Secretaries had functional chapter status, which meant that they were self-governing on matters of policy concerning secretaries. It also meant they had the right to elect their own Chapter Leader and delegates to the UFT's Delegate Assembly, which decides union policy. Our first Chapter Leaders were Helen Engelberg and Libby Klinghoffer. These courageous Secretaries set the foundation for a Chapter that has worked long and hard over the years to make sure that the voice of the School Secretary continues to be heard, along with those of other UFT members.
Well, we've come a long way. Today, School Secretaries number more than 3,000 across the city. We are an important segment of a l40,000 strong union, the UFT, which is affiliated with the New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) and the national American Federation of Teachers (AFT). To say that we are a part of a large and powerful union movement in education is an understatement!
Jackie Ervolina is now the Chapter Leader. She and the l4 member Executive Committee meet monthly throughout the school year to find solutions to problems Secretaries face in their workplace. A top priority is providing the professional development Secretaries want and need. This was a top priority in recent negotiations and recent gains include arranging for college credit courses for licensure and Professional Credit courses ("P" courses) for Secretaries who are earning their differentials.
Each year the Executive Committee coordinates a New Secretaries' Institute, a midyear seminar, a Leadership Weekend and an Awards Luncheon, which honors one secretary from each borough as "Secretary of the Year."
Jackie and the Executive Committee also hold borough-wide union meetings during the school year along with meetings on topics such as health and welfare and pension. Some big job, right? Right!--but worth the effort.
Did I hear someone ask if we aren't just small fish in a big pond? Wouldn't we do better on our own?
Let's be honest. Not every Secretary agrees with union affiliation. Some think we would be better off on our own, autonomously negotiating with the Board. But, do we really want to go back to the days when school employees' lives were governed by the whim of patronizing employers? Those were the days when bosses could unilaterally make decisions to hire and fire you or reduce your benefits and salary. If you really want to take a longer historical look down memory lane (pre-union days), you may not like what you see! There was a time when school employees did not have contractual rights: no grievance procedures, no transfer plan, no benefits and barely any salary. Theirs was a sad situation and they were powerless to make consistent changes until they unionized.
During the 35 years that the UFT has bargained for School Secretaries, we have seen tremendous advances in salaries, benefits, rights and working conditions. Under the leadership of former Presidents Al Shanker, Sandy Feldman and, at present, Randi Weingarten, the UFT continues to champion the rights of union members and workplace reforms.
We, School Secretaries, work hard and realize that we are an integral part of the educational community. We deserve the protection and support that the UFT gives us because we are important members of our union as well. Our responsibility is to stay active and informed by attending UFT meetings and events, reading the Secretaries' Relay and keeping in touch with our borough coordinators--there's one in each UFT borough office.
Remember: Our strength is in our unity!
Did I hear you ask where you can learn more about the history of the School Secretaries Chapter of the UFT?
Come to the seminar in December or the Awards Luncheon in the spring and view the wonderful historical exhibit we've put together replete with photos of those pioneering Secretaries we mentioned earlier. Read the newspaper accounts of how Secretaries stood up for their rights over the years. Examine the early "tools of our trade" on the memorabilia table. For our more experienced Secretaries, it's a great way to reminisce and for our newer Secretaries, it's a great way to learn. The Secretaries' Relay will give you information as to time and place. See you there!
ON THE NATIONAL LEVEL -- AFT Award
The UFT School Secretaries' Chapter was presented with an American Federation of Teacher's "Educational Service and Programs Award" for our outstanding contractual staff development programs. At the annual Paraprofessional and School Related Personnel Conference held this past April, School Related Personnel from across the nation met in Washington, DC, to discuss important innovative union-initiated programs implemented in their locals.
Evelyn Berg and Jackie Ervolina presented workshops modeling our contractual Professional Days which began in 1990 and continued with our contractual Professional Credit Courses ("P" courses) which are available to School Secretaries for their differentials.
Educational Office Workers from other parts of the country (many are not called School Secretaries) who attended our workshops received information and handouts, including copies of our contractual language. Many were stunned to learn that we have... Back at home, many of the participants receive little or no educational/skill building opportunities from their districts. Our programs are serving as a model for these locals to create appropriate staff development for their members.
Here in New York we do it right! | 