SAFETY and HEALTH
Apr 28, 2005 3:58 PM
A. Assistance in Assault Cases
1. The principal shall report as soon as possible but within 24 hours to the Office of Legal Services, to the Chief Executive of School Safety and Planning and to the Victim Support Program that an assault upon a teacher has been reported to him/her. The principal shall investigate and file a complete report as soon as possible to the Office of Legal Services and to the Chief Executive of School Safety and Planning. The full report shall be signed by the teacher to acknowledge that he/she has seen the report and he/she may append a statement to such report.
2. The Office of Legal Services shall inform the teacher immediately of his/her rights under the law and shall provide such information in a written document.
3. The Office of Legal Services shall notify the teacher of its readiness to assist the teacher.
This assistance is intended solely to apply to the criminal aspect of any case arising from such assault.
4. Should the Office of Legal Services fail to provide an attorney to appear with the teacher in Family Court, the Board will reimburse the teacher if he/she retains his/her own attorney for only one such appearance in an amount up to $40.00.
5. An assaulted employee who presses charges against his/her assailant shall have his/her days of court appearance designated as non-attendance days with pay.
6. The provisions of the 1982-83 Chancellor’s Memorandum entitled “Assistance to Staff in Matters Concerning Assaults’’ shall apply.
The principal is charged with the responsibility of maintaining security, safety and discipline in the school. To meet this responsibility he/she shall develop in collaboration with the Union chapter committee and the parents association of the school a comprehensive safety plan, subject to the approval of the Chief Executive of School Safety and Planning. The safety plan will be updated annually using the same collaborative process, and reports of any incidents shall be shared with the chapter leader.
A complaint by a teacher or the chapter leader that there has been a violation of the safety plan may be made to the principal as promptly as possible. He/she will attempt to resolve the complaint within 24 hours, after receiving the complaint. If the teacher or chapter is not satisfied, an appeal may be made to the Chief Executive of School Safety and Planning who will arrange for a mediation session within 48 hours. If the teacher/chapter is not satisfied with the results of the mediation, an appeal may be made by an expedited arbitration process, to be developed by the parties.
C. Citywide Security and Discipline Committee
1. The Union and the Board shall establish a joint committee which shall meet on a regular basis to discuss and consider appropriate means of resolving safety and discipline issues. Other city agencies will be invited to participate when the Union and Board deem it appropriate.
2. The joint committee or joint designees and any experts the Union and/or Board may designate will have access to all schools and other Board workplaces in which staff represented by the Union are assigned for the purpose of investigating and assessing allegedly unsafe working conditions. If possible, such visits shall be made on reasonable notice to the school, and in a manner that minimizes disruption to the school or other workplace.
3. The joint committee, from time to time, may establish sub-committees to deal with special safety/discipline issues. It shall establish a sub-committee to deal with the issues of safety and discipline in special education schools and programs.
UFT-Department of Education Agreement: TEACHERS 11/16/00-05/31/03
