The United Federation of Teachers

ARTICLE THIRTEEN

Jan 26, 2007 4:46 PM

UNION ACTIVITIES, PRIVILEGES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

A. Restriction on Union Activities

No employee shall engage in Union activities during the time he/she is assigned to duty. Members of the Chapter’s negotiating committee and its special consultants shall, upon proper application, be excused without loss of pay for working time spent in negotiations with the Board or its representatives.

B. Time for Chapter Leader and Borough Leader

  1. The Chapter leader or his/her alternate shall be allowed one day per week for the investigation of grievances and for other appropriate activities relating to the administration of the agreement and to the duties of his/her office.
  2. The borough leader shall be allowed one-half (1/2) day per month for the investigation of grievances and for other appropriate activities relating to the administration of the agreement and to the duties of his/her office.
  3. For purposes of this Article 13B, the borough shall include high schools located within the geographical boundaries of the borough.

C. Exclusive Check-Off

The Board will honor, in accordance with their terms, only such written authorizations as are properly executed by employees in the unit covered by this agreement for the deduction of their dues in behalf of the Union.

The Board will honor individual written authorizations for the deduction of Union dues in accordance with their terms, including authorizations stating that they are irrevocable until the following June 30, and automatically renewable for another year unless written notice is given to the Board between June 15 and June 30.

D. Agency Fee Deduction

The Board shall deduct from the wage or salary of employees in the bargaining unit who are not members of the UFT the amount equivalent to the dues levied by the UFT and shall transmit the sum so deducted to the UFT, in accordance with Section 208(3)(b) of Article 14 of CSL. The UFT affirms it has adopted such procedure for refund of agency shop deduction as required in Section 208(3)(b) of Article 14 of CSL. This provision for agency fee deduction shall continue in effect so long as the UFT established and maintains such procedure.

The Union shall refund to the employees any agency shop fees wrongfully deducted and transmitted to the Union.

The Union agrees to hold the Board harmless against claims arising out of the deduction and transmittal of agency shop fees where there is a final adjudication by a court or arbitrator or by PERB that said agency shop fees should not have been deducted and/or transmitted to the Union.

The agency shop fee deductions shall be made following the same procedures as applicable for dues check-off, except as otherwise mandated by law or this Article of the Agreement.

E. Bulletin Boards

At least one (1) bulletin board in each office from which employees are deployed shall be reserved at an accessible place for the exclusive use of the Chapter for purposes of posting material dealing with proper and legitimate Union business.

F. Borough Chapter Meetings

Upon request to the head of the Borough office, Chapter members in a Borough shall be permitted to meet under circumstances which will not interfere with the program. Such meetings may be held only during the lunch period or before or after working hours, at a place to be assigned by the head of the Borough office where other staff members, or children, or the public are not present.

G. Consultation Meetings

Officials of the Chapter and the Board official with direct city-wide authority and responsibility for administration of services of bargaining unit members or other appropriate representatives will consult monthly during the school year on matters of policy involving the professional interests of psychologists and social workers and on appropriate questions arising under the agreement.

Regular monthly UFT consultations with superintendents shall include Chapter representatives where appropriate.

H. Information to the Chapter

  1. Lists of vacancies and any lists which may be established by the community school district, the high school superintendency or by the central board showing seniority of psychologists and social workers for the purpose of implementing the provisions of this agreement shall be made available to the Chapter. In individual cases specific information as to seniority will be made available to the Chapter upon request.
  2. Copies of all official circulars and directives of the Division of Special Education and the Division of High Schools which pertain to employees shall be sent to the Chapter.

I. Official Circulars

All official circulars shall be posted on bulletin boards in offices from which employees are deployed for the inspection of employees and shall be made available to employees on request.

J. Political Check-Off

The Board will arrange for voluntary payroll deduction contributions for federal political contests in accordance with Title 2, Section 441b of the U.S. Code.

K. Joint Committee

  1. The Board and the Union shall establish a joint committee to review and consider appropriate staff development programs for new and experienced employees.
  2. The Board and the Union shall establish a committee to review and consider issues raised by the Union relating to the contracting out of bargaining unit work.