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Meeting of the NASE Executive Committee of Delegates

Tuesday, October 11th, 4:00

JFK Community Room

In Attendance: (28 participants)

Tammy Cook, Sharon Carlson, Leslie Skantz-Hodgson, Kira Henninger, John Selfridge, Mark Baldwin, Deirdre Johnson, Susan Rees, Jenninfer Hayden, Erica Caron, Cyndie Ouimette, Kim Bowler, Erica Lamanna, Paula Rigano-Murray, Vanessa Coates-Cooney, Heather Brown, Kevin Schmith, Helen Woods, Laila Copperansky, Noah Galko, Sandy Bombard, Daria Steward, Andrea Egitto, Jeromie Whalen, Veronica Douglas, Karen Schiaffo, Kate Fontaine, Laura St. Pierre

Andrea calls the meeting to order at 4:04pm.

Item I: Call to Order

• Welcome, introductions and attendance

Item II: Delegates Training

• Taylor Brennan (MTA Regional Director) filling in for Jason for MTA

Upcoming Meetings:

October 19, Phonebank – 5:00 – 8:00pm High Brow, Northampton

November 1, Executive Board

November 8, Executive Committee

Rescheduled – Tuesday, September 20, 4:00

4:00 Call to Order 

Welcome to new Officers and Chapter Coordinators and Delegates!

Go around the room and please say your name, position, and school.

4:10 New Business

4:15 Secretary’s Report – click to download minutes

4:20 – Sub-Committees and PAL (volunteers needed)

• Social Committee
• Scholarship Committee
• Stipend/Budget Committee
• Snacks – each building sign-up

4:30 Treasurer’s report – budget for FY23

4:40 Membership Coordinator’s report – plan for reaching out to new members.

4:45 Discuss delegate vacancies – reach out to people who may be interested. 

Delegates training October 11, 4:00 – 7:30 including dinner. Please plan to attend!

4:55  Fair Share Amendment – Jason

• Pick a date for a phone banking event.
• Packets delivered to schools

5:00 Adjourn

Upcoming meetings:

October 4, Executive Board meeting – 4:00, Ryan Road School

October 5, NASE meeting with NPS superintendent

October 11, Executive Committee Delegates Training – 4:00-7:30 JFK Community Room

Officer Reports

Teachers (Unit A)

Admin (Unit B)

ESPs (Unit C)

Currently we are looking at scheduling a Unit C meeting at JSS. Working on a MOA at the high-school, due a scheduling issue for a Unit C member. There was disciplinary action taken against a member that is an on-going investigation. 

SVHS (Unit D)

Clerical: (Unit E)

Custodian (Unit F)

Cafeteria (Unit G)

I’m Kim Bowler, and I am the Head cook at NHS. I have recently taken on  Unit G Chapter Coordinator. I have been a NASE member since 2020. 

SVHS (Unit H)

PR&R – 9/2022

I have been busy connecting with new members and answering questions from members and administrators about the contract concerning preps and scheduling. 

There are no active grievances at this time. We discussed a clerical issue, but decided to discuss the issue with the new superintendent to make sure administrators are following all aspects of the contract when there are hires, transfers, and promotions. Please email me at sara24marie@gmail.com if there are any issues or concerns around contract adherence. 

Membership Coordinator

• 40 new members joined so far this year.
• Unit breakdown:
  • Unit A (Teachers +) = 23
  • Unit B (Admin) = 1
  • Unit C (ESPs/Paras) =  6
  • Unit E (Clerical) = 0
  • Unit F (Custodians/Bus Drivers) = 3
  • Unit G (Cafeteria) = 2 members = 2
• Please check in with new staff to see if they have questions about NASE
• Encourage them to join/review the benefits of membership
• Give them a brag sheet and membership packet
• Feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns
• Let me know if you need packets or brag sheets.

Karen Schiaffo

NASE Membership Coordinator 

RKF/RR School Nurse

schiaffo89@gmail.com

413-320-3608 

9/13//22

Communications Coordinator

I’ve been working on revamping the website and making it more user friendly. Please share photos and news at nasepublications@gmail.com especially our Smith Voc colleagues! 

I also reactivated our Twitter feed, started an Instagram page and continue to maintain the Facebook page. All social media is linked at the bottom of the NASE home page at www.nasemta.org

President’s and Vice President’s Report

We spent time this past month finalizing all six contracts which involved meeting with negotiating sub-committee members and the interim superintendent to discuss the changes along with making sure all revisions are included. There was work on Memoranda of Agreement (MOA) for a few situations outside of the contracts, meetings with new district leaders, and meetings with MTA reps regarding the Fair Share Amendment. We secured some lawn signs to get things going before the start of school. To save on shipping costs for our new t-shirts, we took a road trip to our union print shop in Worcester. We provided lunch for new teachers at the New Teacher Orientation to inform them about NASE and the district. We spoke at the Western Mass. Area Labor Federation (WMALF) board meeting to share the wins we achieved in bargaining the NPS contracts.

Tuesday, September 6, 2022

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Ryan Road Elementary School

In Attendance: (12 participants)

Andrea Egitto, Sharon Carlson, Karen Schiaffo, Paula Rigano-Murray, Erica Lamanna, Vanessa Coates-Cooney, Sara Churchill-Winsor (left early), Heather Brown, Tammy Cook, Kate Fontaine, Kim Bowler, Brian Bagdon 

Andrea calls the meeting to order at 4:02 pm.

Item I: Call to Order and New Business

• Welcome to new Officers and Chapter Coordinators!
• New Business:
  • Upcoming school committee this Thursday night 9/8 @ 6:30 via zoom (voting on virtual meetings, ect.) 
  • MOA upcoming things to negotiate: 
    • Paraeducators evaluations to be paused the new evaluation for 1 year to push to 23-24 for NHS, JFK, Bridge?
    • stipend to jazz band adult that would pay for actual time 
    • the committee didn’t agree to increase the limit for stipended monies as per lawyers report
    • Impact bargain for Paraeducators that are covering for other positions/units

Item II: Secretary’s Report

• Nothing to report on
• Reaching out to Carl regarding 21-22 secretary information transfer

Item III: Treasurer’s Report

• Budget for FY23
  • Executive Committee will be voting on this budget next week Tuesday September 13th

• Public Relations and Organizing Grant (tshirts), All In Grant (outings/events), Local Grant (10,000 to help since we are so large in size)
• Changes to be made for Tuesday, 9/13 EC Meeting: 
  • drop down the 389 to the NASE sweatshirts from MTA Mass Child proposed 2023, 
  • Cafeteria Chapter Coordinator changed from 500 to 1,000 (Sara only did half year only paid 500 last year), 
  • Treasurer position increased by 1,000 and Membership Coordinator increased by 500
    • This has to be approved through our bylaws change which can only happen at a general meeting. Proposed bylaws change for the next general meeting. So this will be changed back down to regular amounts.
• Scholarship funds were about 1,000 short from last year
  • Need to think about how to reach our goal of 2,500 (did not reach this goal in the 21-22 year)
    • Donations, JJ’s percentage night?

Item IV: Membership Coordinator’s Report

• Plan for reaching out to new members
  • Send new member forms to Karen
• Processed 25 new members with 2 more on it’s way

Item V: Discuss delegate vacancies 

• Reach out to people who may be interested
• Plan executive committee meeting and spread the word about delegates training for October 11 @ 4:00-7:30 including dinner in the JFK community room
• Vacancies: BSS = 2, JSS = 2, JFK = 2, Leeds = 3, NHS = 2,  RKRR = 2, Clerical = 1, Para = 1, Cafeteria = 2
  • Concerns that Leeds needs the most delegates
• JLMC to review flex and present it to faculty and staff then a vote by December as to whether or not to continue then may have to open contract back up

• Possible members: Tammy to ask JFK 8th grade teacher to join, Tammy, Kate to ask Jake

Item VI: Fair Share Amendment

• Pick a date for a phone banking event
• Phone banking event will have all technology and scripting available for people who participate

Item VII: Adjourn

MOTION: to adjourn.

Entertained by: Andrea

Moved by: Heather

Seconded by: Kate

Motion Approved: unanimously

Important Notes: 

• Officer’s reports – please send them to Andrea the Sunday before the EC meeting
  • September month by Sunday 9/11

Upcoming meetings:

September 7, NASE meeting with NPS superintendent

September 13, Executive Committee meeting 4:00 – JFK Community room

October 4, Executive Board meeting – 4:00, Ryan Road School

October 5, NASE meeting with NPS superintendent

October 11, Executive Committee Delegates Training – 4:00-7:30 JFK Community Room

Officer Reports

Teachers (Unit A)

Admin (Unit B)

ESPs (Unit C)

SVHS (Unit D)

Clerical: (Unit E)

Custodian (Unit F)

Cafeteria (Unit G)

SVHS (Unit H)

PR&R – 9/2022

I have been busy connecting with new members and answering questions from members and administrators about the contract concerning preps and scheduling. 

There are no active grievances at this time. We discussed a clerical issue, but decided to discuss the issue with the new superintendent to make sure administrators are following all aspects of the contract when there are hires, transfers, and promotions. Please email me at sara24marie@gmail.com if there are any issues or concerns around contract adherence. 

Membership Coordinator

Communications Coordinator

President’s and Vice President’s Report

https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.northamptonma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_09082022-6654&sa=D&source=docs&ust=1662307048895949&usg=AOvVaw0axuL7x7b9fDk77vHjc8g1

Tuesday, June 14, 2022 @ 4:00-5:00pm 

Click here to download minutes

In Attendance: (29 participants) 

Andrea Egitto, Heather Brown, Sharon Carlson, Karen Schiaffo, Paula Rigano-Murray, Erica Lamanna, Maria Vega, Alex Peterson, Kristen Picard, Michael Stavely-Hale, Vanessa Coates-Cooney, Kira Henninger, Sandra Bombard, Tammy Cook, Brian Bagdon, Laura St.Pierre, Daria Steward, Leslie Skants-Hodgson, Ryan Parent, Ellen Brown, Erica Caron, Jennifer Hayden, Kara Seridan, Mareatha Wallace, Helen Woods, Jonah Dratfield, Sara Churchill-Winsor, Cyndie Ouimette, SVAHS 

Andrea calls the meeting to order at 4:04pm. 

Item I: Call to Order and Welcome to new delegates and officers! Farewell and good luck to our officers leaving the district. 

– Those leaving: Sara Churchill Windsor, Kara Sheridan, Sarah Nowak, and Carl Mead – Jeff and Mike will be co-coordinators for Smith Voc 

Item II: New Business 

– Nothing new called or brought up by members 

Item III: Secretary’s report – shared by Andrea and reminded sent out ahead of meeting via email to all members 

MOTION: to accept the secretary’s report as emailed. 

Entertained by: Andrea 

Moved by: Erica 

Seconded by: Sharon 

Motion Approved: unanimously 

Item IV: Treasurer’s report – shared out by Sharon 

– Not many new items going into May (many same), June will have more items to go out

– Concerns raised for the MTA/NEA dues in the expenses as to why the increase of 18,000ish to about 30,000ish 

– Raised $741 for our scholarship 

– $3891.30 granted All In Grant monies that was reimbursed from previous years of 2019-2021 

– All that happened in the month of May was the cost for the annual meeting – Stipend checks will be out by the end of the week this week of June 13th distributed out – Payroll finalized today (6/14) 

– Smith Voc requested to mail out. Sharon will check with Cyndie about current mailing addresses for Smith Voc members 

MOTION: to accept the treasurer’s report as emailed. 

Entertained by: Andrea 

Moved by: Paula 

Seconded by: Erica 

Motion Approved: unanimously 

Item V: Call for Delegates for 2022-2023 school year – shared out by Andrea Officers Vacancies include: 

Communications Chair, Unit B (Admin.) Chapter Coordinator, Unit G (Cafe) Chapter Coordinator, PR&R (Grievance) Chair 

– Would like to provide training and possible mentorship for the new positions such as PR&R (grievance) Chair. 

– The Communications Chair will need tech savvy skills. Would like to have more than just Facebook for our social media presence as well as maintain the website. Stipend includes $1,500 for the year 

Delegate vacancies include: 

BSS = 1 Unit A & 2 Additional, JSS = 2 Additional, JFK = 1 Additional, Leeds = 1 Unit A & 2 Additional, NHS = 1 Unit A & 3 Additional, At-Large = 1 Unit C & 1 Unit F & 2 Unit G – Delegates will get an MTA training in the fall with Jason regarding your role and responsibilities as a delegate 

– Additional slots are based on the number of members that are in the building. These can be members from any unit. It would be important to have a minimum of 1 ESP as a member in each building.

Item VI: End of year social debrief 

– Thank Kira for being the party planner and organizer! Great and fun! 

– Seemed to have a pretty nice attendance to the event = 146 members attended – Bills or receipts from Local Burgy and Harrell’s have not been sent to Sharon yet. Kira will send in an email. Look Park rental has been paid 6/14 by Sharon. Kira will resend the car fee from Look Park for Sharon to pay and follow up on. 

– Concerns around cans and bottles and trash areas 

– For the future: three receptacles – (1) returns, (2) recycles, (3) trash 

– For the future: returns monies could be added into our scholarship fund – Concerns around beverages such as water access 

– For the future: use of a bottle jug rather than individual bottles 

– Concerns that people arrived later than expected since school hours have changed since previous years 

– For the future: Try and get Union Release form for attendance and timeliness – concerns that people arrived at the event once food left. Two hours of food. – For the future: 3:30-5:30? Or 4-6? 

Item VII: Officer’s reports 

– These are at the end of the agenda that have been shared out in advance to members. – Kate F. is preparing for a meeting with the Dept. of Labor Relations with an MTA attorney. This has been filed from last year that has been a slow moving process. Still in the investigation process. 

– Will be moving forward with Officer Reports to be President and Vice President combined together. 

– Out of the 4 scholarships 1 of the recipients had family ties to the union. Checks were sent out after the awards were presented. Lowest level of applicants for the scholarships in a while 

– NHS has an application on the guidance scholarship page. 

– How does Smith Voc get the application?? This needs to be thought through for the future. 

Item VIII: Adjourn

MOTION: to adjourn 

Entertained by: Andrea 

Moved by: Sharon 

Seconded by: Sandy 

Motion Approved: unanimously. 

Upcoming meetings: 

NPS Negotiations: 

6/14 @ 7:00pm – Special School Committee Meeting regarding Superintendent 6/16 @ 6:30pm – JFK Community Room 

-In person open meeting. Will open the zoom as an option. 

-Will not be negotiating over the summer. Will come back in the fall if not settled in June. 6/21 @ 6:30pm – NHS Library

CONTENTS

Attendance

Minutes

masking policies

A discussion of how people are handling the new masking policies.

secretary and treasurer reports

The Committee of Delegates approves two reports.

call for delegates

A discussion of where delegates are needed and how new delegates can learn the ropes.

end-of-year social

Plans for the social at Look Park on June 9.

communication around grievances

Discussions about whom to contact when navigating grievances or disciplinary meetings as a building delegate.

next NASE Annual Meeting

The formation of a committee to spruce up next year’s NASE Annual Meeting.

next negotiations meeting

Discussions on whether to continue to have a Zoom option for negotiations meetings, on action networks, and on NASE sweatshirts.

motion to adjourn

In Attendance

Andrea Egitto, Heather Brown, Sharon Carlson, Carl Mead, Sara Churchill-Winsor, Karen Schiaffo, Kate Fontaine, Paula Rigano-Murray, Erica Lamanna, Cyndie Ouimette, Maria Vega, Alex Peterson, Kristen Picard, Michael Stavely-Hale, Vanessa Coates-Cooney, Kira Henninger, Jeromie Whalen, Jonah Dratfield, Sara Simmons, Eva Rocheleau, Sandra Bombard, Tammy Cook, Brian Bagdon

Minutes

Note: Remarks attributed to meeting participants are approximations, not quotations.

Andrea calls the meeting to order at 4:08pm.

FIRST TOPIC: masking policies

Andrea:

Who has new business? Heather you had a few things?

Heather:

Just a check-in on the scholarship funds.

And a check-in with Kira about the end-of-year party.

Kira:

Yes, but Karen was first.

Karen:

How are the masks going?

Erica L: 

There was a staff person who did not want to mask. The principal called them in and they were sent home until the mask mandate is listed.

Karen:

There is a new form for students (and staff) to fill out for an accommodation under the mask mandate. They should bring it to the attention of the building nurse and principal. That will communicate that the student in question will not need to wear a mask.

Tammy:

We had communication from a caregiver who said the student would not be masking and it wasn’t for medical reasons. The associate principal called him in and sent him home.

Kira:

We had a student whose parent said you can’t send him home, you have a responsibility to educate him. He said he’d wear one for the positive case in his room.

Paula: 

I heard that at the Department Chair meeting there was word that the School Committee said we could not send students home.

Carl:

That was the vibe. 

Andrea:

What does that mean?

Carl:

It sounds like the School Committee will not be supporting that action. I do not know what that means long-term. 

Heather:

Didn’t we have an MoA saying those decisions go through the SHAC?

Andrea:

That doesn’t currently apply at this point. 

Kira:

Is there an expiration date on the MoA regarding the need for staff to be vaccinated?

Andrea:

I don’t think so. Let me find it. [She looks for a minute, muttering what she reads to herself.] It does not look like it expires.

Kira:

Okay, I think some people are hoping that would get repealed.

Andrea:

I don’t know, but I do not see that happening. I can send the MoA language to you.

Erica: 

Can I get that too?

Andrea:

Yes. I’ll send it to everyone.

Tammy:

I know we have a lot of new hiring going on this summer. Who will be responsible for policing that vaccination status?

Andrea:

I would think everyone who’s a part of it. The principal would likely mention it early on in the process, but there’s also HR who would keep track of that.

Karen:

I don’t think everyone has a booster, which is what the CDC recommends. But DESE doesn’t require the booster. So I don’t know what’s required in order to be “fully vaccinated.”

Andrea:

But DESE doesn’t require vaccination either. That’s a Northampton thing. We wanted that so we could feel safer. If the district was interested in policing booster population, we have the MoA we can go back to.

If we have another surge, then maybe we’ll make a decision to something about it, but that’s above my paygrade.

NEXT TOPIC: secretary and treasurer reports

MOTION

to accept secretary’s report as emailed.

Entertained by Andrea.

Moved by Sara.

Seconded by Paula

Motion Approved, unanimously. 

Andrea:

Now we can go to the treasurer’s report. Heather will share her screen for this. 

Sharon:

We’ve collected 36,755.38 from dues in the month of April.

We have 74,213.26 in reserves. 

For our stipends, we still need 29,175 to pay our stipends out.

I don’t know where things stand on the venmo. 

Sara:

I can talk about that. I need to know what people deposited. 

Sharon:

I thought it worked like PayPal.

Sara:

Yes. What I’m looking for is a statement from Florence Savings Bank. 

Venmo deposited a penny here or five cents there, so that they could authenticate the account. 

It may have expired. 

Sharon:

It should be 35 cents and 3 cents. 

Sara:

I might need to get those numbers in there. 

As soon as I am able to, I will transfer you all the money. 

Heather:

I think it was about the same as the PTO put in, around 300?

Andrea:

That was the cash amount, I thought.

Sara:

328.89. 

That’s on top of 130 that we got in cash at the meeting. 

I can take screenshots for whoever needs those for records. 

Andrea:

Thank you, Sara, for taking that on.

Once that’s authenticated, we don’t need to do that again each year?

Sara:

We can keep using it for as long as I’m willing to.

Sharon:

Between the money that we take in and the money that goes to MTA and NEA, we have a healthy balance of 11,000.

MOTION

to accept the treasurer’s report.

Entertained by Andrea.

Moved by Carl.

Seconded by Paula

Motion Approved, unanimously.

NEXT TOPIC:  call for delegates

Andrea:

We have a call for delegates. Each year, delegates are called to nominate themselves to be delegates. 

If you click the link in the agenda, there is a list of the allocations by building and by chapter. 

I think it would be good for us to add to our by-laws in the future to require that there is a unit C delegate from each building. 

If you think there’s someone who might want to be more, involved, those face-to-face conversations can mean a lot. 

I’d like to see all of these allocations completely full from each building. I am going to send a members email to everybody as well. There will also be information on joining the Contract Action Team.

I hope you all want to do this work again next year, so do that now before you forget.

We’ll do building-based elections if need be.

Carl:

Is there a reason we do self-nomination rather than have us nominate other people?

Andrea:

That’s how things have been done. I don’t know. Sharon, do you know the story there?

Sharon:

It’s how the MTA does it.

Andrea:

Yes, and we borrow a lot of how we do things from them.

Jonah:

Is there any place we  really clearly spell out what delegates’ responsibilities are? If I want to explain it to someone, I think I can’t really explain it.

Andrea:

You can look at the by-laws, but I agree, we should try to have that a little more concrete.

The MTA does offer delegate trainings. We’ll offer that in the fall.

Sharon:

If you were a new delegate this year, you need to get a W-9 in. Otherwise, you’re not getting paid.

Andrea:

Do you have a list of those?

Sharon:

I’ll have to get that back to you.

Paula:

Does that include negotiating team members?

Sharon:

Yes!

Eva:

Is there anything we need to do if we are not coming back next year?

Andrea:

No. Just let me and Heather know.

Eva:

Then this is my notice. I am not returning to the district next year. I’m going back to school.

Andrea:

I will send that email out, but please reach out to other people in your building.

NEXT TOPIC:  end-of-year social

Andrea:

And now to Kira for the end-of-year social.

Kira:

It’s really simple. It’s pretty much the same thing we did last year. 

June 9 from 2:30 to 7:30.

Local Burgy, Herrell’s, Paul Kinsman DJing.

I need people to respond to the evite. I will send people a reminder next week, when I need to give a headcount to Herrell’s.

We’re encouraging people to park at JFK. But NASE is covering if people need to park at paid spots.

I’m hoping people will bring what they brought last year. Heather the sign. Tammy the tablecloths. 

I guess I’ll add in the BYOB.

Andrea:

And maybe also a small note about parking? 

If you could make the link public, people could print out the flyer and put it up around the schools.

And if you could put when you want people to RSVP by.

I know Kate was going to bring some beverages and snacks from CostCo.

Tammy:

I can buy them, but I can’t bring them.

Andrea:

Also, trash bags. Any recommendations?

Brian:

Any school dumpster is appropriate.

Sara S:

I just noticed my evite went to my junk mail, so we should let people know it might be there.

Andrea:

I’ll mention that in the email as well. Be sure to mention that to people.

Kira, what’s the date you want people to get back to you by?

Kira:

The 17th.

Andrea:

Paula, I was thinking we might not want to put it on Facebook so it’s not just info out in the public.

Heather:

I wondered if we could put out another flyer and info for the NASE scholarship.

We still need about 1800.

Sara: 

I could bring the ones from the Annual Meeting.

Heather:

Last year we had people parking at JFK, but now the release times are different. Is there more room in the back lots?

Tammy:

Not really.

Andrea:

Might be good to just let people know to wait until after the end of the school day.

NEXT TOPIC:  communication around grievances

Andrea:

A reminder for all delegates, if you are dealing with any sort of discipline and grievance issue, it’s really helpful for you to cc the chapter coordinator of the unit that that person’s in. 

You may have it totally under control, but it’s really a helpful fyi, so they have a record of different issues in different buildings. 

Even if somebody just talks to you and they’re not sure if it’s a grievance or anything, you want to make sure you send an email to Sara and the chapter coordinator. 

If you’re ever unsure who the coordinator is, you can check with me. 

Cyndie:

Just want to remind you that you as a delegate or a chapter coordinator have a right to be there, whether you’re invited there or not. You have the right to help your member. 

Andrea:

And there are times there is an investigation going on, and admin might say, it’s not disciplinary, but again, you have a right to be there. 

A member might go in and say something that gets them in hot water, and you want to be there in case something happens.

It’s not about being adversarial, just about being there for people. And then just give the chapter coordinator a heads up.

Sometimes people email me stuff, but I get 200 emails a day. So the chapter coordinator really should be the first go-to person.

Kira:

I’ve even been asked to sit in on meetings for members. My admin sees it as a helpful part of the process. 

Andrea:

And that’s great. It really is just about supporting the staff member.

Kira:

I understand about if someone comes to us, we bring it to you, but sometimes they go straight to you, but should we get ourselves involved?

Andrea:

Well, people might have reasons they feel embarrassed, but I’ll always go to the chapter coordinator. 

But if they do go right to the chapter coordinator, don’t feel like you need to jump in on that. 

Paula:

If somebody comes to me, I might refer them to a building delegate. I will reach out if I think it’s something that should be dealt with at the building level.

Andrea:

Yes, because we can’t get to every building, so yes. 

If it’s a super serious issue where you need the big guns, like if the administrator calls in all the other administrators, then yes, it’s okay to reach out, but often it’s better to have someone who’s in that building who knows what going on.

Kate:

Paula covered most of what I wanted to say.

Building delegates will also reach out to chapter coordinators. And I’ll say, okay, we’ll go together. We can both be at that meeting.

Heather:

We’ve had problems this year with a principal deciding who a member gets to have in the meeting. It’s thoughtful for them to include the union, but you’ve got to give them a choice of who they want to attend. 

Maria:

Clarification, this did happen this year a number of times, I’ve had members who haven’t looped me in until the middle of things because they’ve gone to other members rather bring me in first. And then other delegates and chapter coordinators wouldn’t give me all the information, and I felt like I couldn’t help my member out as much as they needed.

Andrea:

I would like the chapter coordinator included from the beginning, but it does depend on the severity of the issue. If it’s something big, like it could lead to termination, yes, let’s get the chapter coordinator in there. If it’s something like, this person’s getting talked to because they’ve been absent a lot, still, let the chapter coordinator know about it so they can know what’s going on.

That’s why I wanted this on the agenda. I want it to just become our norm so our chapter coordinators can be in the loop. It may never be necessary for you to get involved at all. 

I don’t want to put more work on people’s plates. I think this will save us some work in the long run. That way people know what’s been going on when they need to get involved down the road. 

Cyndie:

Andrea needs to put on her Wonderful Hat because she’s so wonderful as our president. I had somebody that was on the wrong lane, they didn’t understand what that meant. That person went right to Andrea and Andrea brought me into it. 

And Jason is absolutely wonderful. He has your back too. 

Andrea:

He is. You might need to push him for more than a two-word answer sometimes, but he’s awesome.

NEXT TOPIC:  next NASE Annual Meeting

Tammy:

Were we going to discuss my concern from the email before we reach the end of the meeting? About negotiations?

Andrea:

Yes, but first, I wanted to put this out there first. At the officers meeting, we discussed the possibility of having a committee to adding some energy to that meeting (door prizes? different kinds of food?). I wanted to put that out there so you could offer any feedback.

Cyndie:

I will certainly be on that committee and head it. I love to do fundraisers where you badger people. Or co-chairing because I know SVAHS is a little bit separate.

Kira in chat: I’m willing to co-chair that with Cyndie. 

NEXT TOPIC:  next negotiations meeting

Andrea:

I wanted to remind you all (thank you, Tammy) that our next negotiating meeting is May 16th at 5 in the library at NHS. 

Tammy brought up the fact that covid cases are ticking up. I thought I’d see what the committee thought. 

I’m inclined to leave it in-person because we’re already at risk, maybe with some people attending through Zoom if they’re not comfortable coming in person.

People respond generally positively to the idea of keeping things in person with a Zoom option.

Andrea:

I’m going to put a link in the chat, an email I’m going to send out as an email to members so you can print it. It is the action network QR code. If people hold their phones up to this, it’s a letter they can send to the City Council. 

I shared this with the Wisdom Warriors. I know REAL has been interested in this sort of thing. 

I talked with my ward councillor, and she was supportive and wanted to talk things through with me. Like, if the city is paying for police walkie talkies, why can’t they pay for ours? Why can’t they take care of the organic turf management?

Paula:

I met with two councillors myself, and they were also very supportive.

Brian:

There’s something like 115 radios they’re looking to purchase throughout the district, and those are something like 2 or 3 thousand dollars. I want to make sure the ones we currently have aren’t just thrown in a box and put away, make sure that those stay accessible.

Heather:

Another councillor was supportive and on board. There’s no guarantee. 

Andrea:

The one I spoke to, Rachel, she’s chair of the finance committee. She agreed with Kira, the mayor might not have to present that budget the School Committee voted for, but she hoped she did. 

Sara:

One little thing I wanted to say, I want to tell Sharon, I put those numbers in, the account is validated, I will put in that deposit now. 

I will take pictures of all the deposits given to me and send them to Andrea and Sharon.

Paula:

Heads up, there’s at least one sweatshirt in that dollar amount. 

Sara:

Yes. Forty-one dollars of that is a sweatshirt.

Andrea:

Officer reports are at the end of the agenda. If you have any questions, certainly let us know.

MOTION

to adjourn

Entertained by Andrea.

Moved by Paula.

Seconded by Sharon.

Discussion:

Andrea:

If you do talk to people about becoming new delegates, we do invite all new delegates and officers to that June meeting.

Kira:

I am the new member liaison, but if anyone else wants to do that, let Andrea know. I have the information for that if anyone needs it.

Andrea:

And again, we have vacancies for chapter coordinators for administrators and cafeteria workers. Also, a communications chair. 

Motion Approved, unanimously.

Meeting adjourns 5:35pm.