Reply to MV teacher unionization effort?

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Reply to "MV teacher unionization effort?"

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[quote=Anonymous]The school administration did not recognize the union, so the staff intends to proceed to the NLRB process.

This letter was sent to interested parties by the teachers group yesterday.

Dear Beloved Families, 				                                                      April 25, 2019

Thank you so much today for your generous support and the beautiful breakfast. Special shout out to the generosity of Big Bear for donating the food! We appreciate you beyond words. In tonight’s meeting, administration still did not recognize our union.

On April 12th we, the Mundo Verde Union, announced our formation to school leadership. We invited them to voluntarily recognize our union within one week. On April 19th, after numerous staff requested phone calls and meetings, leadership responded with an email asking for a meeting on April 25th and we responded with the letter attached here: Response to leadership 4/21. This most recent letter did not receive a response until today, April 25, at 8 am, and stated that the meeting is confirmed for this April 25th, and that the format of the meeting had changed. Initially the meeting was set up for the board to better understand the perspective of teachers and staff who had joined the union effort, the 8 am revised meeting invitation set a different agenda:

[i]“Others have expressed interest in this issue and therefore, in the spirit of transparency and inclusion, I am extending the invitation to any and all interested staff. We are sensitive to the late notice of this invitation. While I am hopeful that many of you will join us, I also want you to know there will be additional opportunities for staff to learn more as this process moves forward. Tonight's meeting is for staff only and will take place at school at 30 P Street at 7 pm.” [/i]

Instead of seeking understanding, the re-imagined meeting was designed to provide an opportunity for the small minority of staff who had not asked for a union to confront the 96 colleagues who had.  Administration and the board made it clear that they were not there to engage on the only question before them; whether to voluntarily recognize our union.

The response to our April 12th letter is one example of a pattern exhibited by Mundo Verde leadership including last-minute communication, gatekeeping the decision making process, and changing the rules under which we function. This pattern was seen in the way we learned about the expansion, changes to staff healthcare, and the roll out of bonuses, to name a few specific examples. These examples are why we need a union now more than ever.  After refusing to admit families and community stakeholders at the door, we, the staff members present, agreed to enter the meeting and restate to our administration and board the one and only question before them: will Mundo Verde leadership voluntarily recognize our union? Leadership refused to make a decision tonight.

It is with a heavy heart that we must move this process forward and petition the Federal Government for an election.  There is no question that with the support of 96 staff members and the support of over 350 parents and community members we will sit down at the bargaining table as equals with our administration.  We are saddened however that our administration and board have chosen to delay and fight our right to do so.  It is our hope that leadership will respect our right to a fair election so we may speak our truth and collaborate through a democratic process.  We remain open to working collaboratively outside of the NLRB if the board decides to recognize us, but with only 7 weeks of school remaining, we must move the process forward. This work is urgent and our students deserve teachers who are able to fully engage in the decision making processes at their school.

We hope that you will continue to support us as we advocate for our seat at the decision making table. We value your insights and feedback as we move through this process.   Please stand with us by joining the hundreds of parents and community members who have already signed our petition. We are in awe and profoundly grateful for all that you have done for us; your empathy, support, and encouragement have kept us focused on building a better Mundo Verde together.

With deep respect and appreciation,

The teachers and staff members of the Mundo Verde Union[/quote]

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