Collective Bargaining and Unions

Complete the following questions using the Collective Bargaining Agreement from the school
district you are observing. Please cite the page number you located each answer.
1. What school district did you research? Provide the exact web address or link to the
collective bargaining agreement.
I researched district 45.
https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=district+45+collective+bargaining+agreement
it is the first one on google. Its a download.
2. What is a collective bargaining agreement? What people/groups of people are involved in
the collective bargaining process?
A collective Bargaining agreement is an agreement in writing of the terms and condtions
of employment in regards to rates, pay, or work conditions. The employees and the head
people of the district are apart of the process.
3. What are the teachers contracted hours and days (hours/days teachers have to be in the
school building)?
The contracted hours and days for teachers are that the workday should begin no earlier
than 8:00 a.m. and end no later than 4:00 p.m. Monday-Friday. The workday for
elementary teachers may begin and end up to 15 minutes in agreement. The middle
school principal will determine if there are extended hours in the LRC.
(Pg. 16 of 66)
4. How much planning a preparation time do teachers in this district get each week (this
may be different at each grade level)? Is any of the time designated for certain activities
(i.e. common grade level plan time, data discussions, etc.)
A full time elementary teacher has to have no less than 150 minutes per five-day week.
Middle school teachers cannot exceed thirty periods, excluding noon hour activites.
(Pg 12 of 66)
5. What is the current evaluation process for teachers?
The current evaluation process for teachers are, for every tenured teacher, they should be
evaluated at least once every two years. There should be at least one formal and one
informal observation for a minimum of 45 minutes. All probationary teachers should be
formally observed at least two times during probationary year with at least one before and
one after winter break. A probationary teacher will also be informally observed.
(Pg. 28 of 66)
6. What does the document say about class size? Is there a limit? What happens if that limit
is exceeded?
Yes, for each grade there is a limit to the class size. For kindergarten its (20-24), grades 12 (22-26), grade 3 (24-28), grades 4-5 (26-30), grades 6-8 (26-32).
If this agreement is violated,
The class size policy adopted by the Board shall not be rescinded during the term of this
Agreement, but if at any time during the term of this Agreement the Board shall contemplate an

amendment thereto, prior to such being effectuated, the Association and the Board shall select an
equal number of representatives not to exceed three (3) each to develop policy recommendations
and submit recommendations with respect to such proposed amendment to the Board. The Board
shall not take final action with respect to any amendment of such policy for at least seventy-five
(75) calendar days or until such group has reported its recommendation to the Board, whichever
shall be the sooner. The Association President or designee shall have the right to present views at
the meeting at which the amendment of such policy shall receive final Board consideration.
(Pg. 23 of 66)
7. What type of mentoring program or training do new teachers go through?
When possible the building principal shall assign a mentor to every probationary teacher
during his/her first year in the school system. The mentor, insofar as possible, shall be a
tenured teacher with a minimum of three (3) years teaching experience and shall be
engaged in teaching within the same grade, building or subject areas as the probationary
teacher. The mentor shall assist the probationary teacher in becoming acquainted with the
teaching profession and the school system. The mentor shall not be involved in the
evaluation of the probationary teacher. The Association shall encourage all teachers to
accept mentor assignments.
(Pg. 30 of 66)
8. Are teachers allotted sick and personal days? If so, how many?
Yes, there are allowed sick and personal days and it changes the longer you have been
employed. So for 1-4 years you get 12 days. For 5-15 years you get 15 days, for 16-29
years you get 18 days, and 30+ you get 21 days.
(Pg. 36 of 66)
9. What is a grievance and how is the process carried out?
Grievance is any claim by the Association or teacher that there has been a violation,
misinterpretation, misapplication of the terms of this agreement shall be a grievance.
The procedure is carried out by the following:
The parties hereto acknowledge that it is usually desirable for a teacher and his/her immediately
involved supervisor to resolve problems collaboratively without the necessity of filing a
grievance through free and informal communications. Before a decision is reached to file a
grievance, the teacher may discuss the problem with another District administrator. When
requested by the teacher, an Association representative may accompany the teacher to assist in
the informal resolution of the grievance. If, however, such informal processes fail to satisfy the
teacher or the Association, a grievance may be processed as follows:
.

Step One The teacher or the Association may present the grievance in writing to the supervisor
immediately involved who will arrange for a meeting to take place within seven (7) days after
receipt of the grievance. Upon the teacher's request, an Association representative may be present
at this meeting. The supervisor shall provide a written answer to the grievance to the aggrieved
teacher and the Association within ten (10) days after the meeting. This answer shall include the
reasons for the decision.

Step Two If the grievance is not resolved at Step #1, then the teacher or the Association shall
refer the grievance to the Superintendent or his/her official designee within seven (7) days after

receipt of the Step #1 answer. The Superintendent shall arrange for a meeting with

19
the teacher or the Association to take place within five (5) days of his receipt of the appeal. Each
party shall have the right to include in its representation such witnesses and counselors as it
deems necessary to develop facts pertinent to the grievance. Upon conclusion of the hearing the
Superintendent shall have eight (8) days in which to provide his/her written decision with
reasons to the Association and the teacher.
c. Step Three
If the grievance is not satisfied at Step #2, the teacher or the Association may submit it to the
Board within fifteen (15) days. At the option of the Board, a meeting which shall include a
written brief and/or hearing shall be held within ten (10) days. The meeting may be conducted by
the whole Board or by a subcommittee of the Board. Upon conclusion of the proceedings, the
Board President shall have five (5) days to provide the Board's written decision, with reasons, to
the teacher and the Association.
d. Step FourIf the Association is not satisfied with the disposition of the grievance at Step #2 or
#3 or the time limits expire without the issuance of the Superintendent's and/or the Board's
written reply or if the Board elects not to hear the grievance, the Association may submit the
grievance to final and binding arbitration. The parties shall first seek to agree upon an arbitrator
to resolve the grievance. If unable to so agree, the grievance shall be submitted to the American
Arbitration Association (AAA) which shall act as the administrator of the proceedings. The
Association's initial demand for arbitration shall be filed with the Superintendent or designee
within twenty (20) days of the applicable Step #2 or #3 answer or the grievance shall be deemed
withdrawn. Nothing herein shall preclude the parties from agreeing upon a rotating roster of
arbitrators.
.

(1) Neither the Board nor the Association shall be permitted to assert any grounds or evidence
before the arbitrator which was not previously disclosed to the other party.

(2) The arbitrator shall have no power to alter the terms of this Agreement.

(3) The arbitrator is empowered to include in any award such financial reimbursements or other
remedies as he judges to be proper.

(4) Each party shall bear the full costs for its representation in the arbitration. The cost of the
arbitrator and the AAA shall be divided equally between the Board and the Association.

(5) If either party requests a transcript of the proceedings, that party shall bear the full costs for
that transcript. If both parties order a transcript, the cost of the two (2) transcripts shall be
divided equally.

20
(Pgs. 19-22 of 66)
10. How are teachers compensated in this district? Please provide the salary of a first year
teacher that holds a Bachelors degree for the 2014-2015 school year? What is the salary

of a teacher with a Masters degree and 15 years experience for the 2014-2015 school
year? Based on the number of days per year required and hours per day required calculate
the hourly rate for both scenarios. Take the number of days multiplied by hours worked
(i.e. 180 days X 7 hours a day = 1,260 hours). Divide the salary by the total hours (i.e.
$48,000 / 1,260 = $38.10/hour).
The teachers in this district are compensated with money. The salary for a first year
teacher with bachelors degree is 42,088. A teacher with a masters degree and 15 years
experience gets paid 51,558. (Pg. 51 of 66)
1St scenario: $33.40/hour
2nd scenario:$40.90/hour
11. How are extra duties (coaching, clubs, lunch duty etc.) compensated?
Extra duties are compensated with pay depending on the type of dutie it is. The more important
the duty the more money you make.
(Pg. 54 of 66)