Reply to MV teacher unionization effort?

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Reply to "MV teacher unionization effort?"

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[quote=Anonymous]This is the letter the teachers who support the union sent on 4/12.

Dear Kristin and Alicia,

Thank you for replying to our email. While we appreciate leadership reaching out to better understand our position, we are disappointed that the request came after numerous staff and families reached out to set up meetings to do just that.

We came to our administration on Friday morning, April 12 in a spirit of cooperation; we do not seek disruption to our students or community.  As you know well, this is a heavy time of year for staff between expo prep, standardized testing, assessments and end of year business. While we are open to having a meeting we want to be clear that we have little to discuss beyond our request: to have the school recognize our union in order to empower staff voice and give us a seat at the table.

We are concerned about delaying this process as we are eager to begin the collaboration process working as equals between staff and leadership. If you’d like to learn more about our reasoning then you can refer to the documents we shared on the 12th that include quotes and signatures from over 80% of staff.  Our hope is that this process will be swift and productive so that staff can focus our time and energy on the crucial work we do daily.

We ask for recognition as teachers, as non-instructional staff, as parents, as spouses - as real people with real needs dedicated to Mundo Verde’s mission. If you ‘welcome the spirit of collaboration and cooperation’ then please- listen to our voice. Recognize our union.

We are ready to move forward. Over ninety members of our staff of approximately 115 have publicly signed on to our petition to unionize. Many Mundo Verde parents are also expressing active support, with over 170 having signed our petition urging the board to voluntarily recognize our union. We expect and are preparing for positive and collaborative negotiations that will address long standing issues and  improve our working conditions, the education of our students, the experiences of our families, and our dignity as staff and community members.

As you have requested, we will meet with the board on Thursday, April 25th at 7:00 p.m. with the intent of signing a voluntary recognition agreement which:
·      Acknowledges the rights of staff to unionize and bargain collectively, and
·      Lays out a speedy timeline for the commencement of collective bargaining negotiations.

We expect the board to have a direct answer to our request for recognition - either yes or no. We trust the board will be decisive and answer the one and only question before we meet on Thursday. Our sincere hope is that, rather than wasting time and money having a public disagreement over basic rights, our board and administration will make space for all staff to speak their truth and truly collaborate as crew.

We appreciate your thoughtful advocacy as you consider our request.
The Mundo Verde Union
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