ROEA REPORTER

2002 NEA CONVENTION

by Stuart Asch

Ten thousand dedicated teachers from across America descended upon Dallas Texas this past July for six very intense days. The convention is often advertised as the largest democratic body in the world. It truly is amazing to see 10,000 teachers come together in such a focused and organized manner. Our day started with an early wake up call as the Michigan Caucus begins at 7 a.m. and goes until 9 a.m. The convention itself runs daily from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. The exception to this is the last evening, which cannot end until the last business item is introduced and debated. This year New Business Item # 109 was adopted as amended at 10:40 p.m.!

The convention allows delegates to become politically involved in a wide range of areas. One quickly learns the importance of PAC and why it is necessary to contribute as much as you can (especially when you think of the importance of this year's state elections). Without PAC contributions the NEA would not be able to lobby for educational issues at the federal and state level. 

Delegates are encouraged (and encouraged, and encouraged, and encouraged) to contribute to the NEA Fund for Children and Public Education. Total contributions by this year's delegates amounted to $1,193,653. Michigan delegates for the second year in a row led all states with contributions totaling over $77,000.

Under the leadership of President Sid Kardon, our R.O. delegates to the NEA Convention have consistently been in the forefront of support for a critical societal and educational issue: affirmative action in public education. For the third year in a row we have supported affirmative action. We have done this by sponsoring a resolution (passed by the national delegates) supporting a NEA *amicus curiae* brief to the Supreme Court on behalf of the University of Michigan affirmative action program. We also co-sponsored a resolution with the California delegates to have the NEA support a petition drive to the Supreme Court in favor of affirmative action plans at all universities. 

I can assure the ROEA membership that all of our delegates were in attendance from dawn to dusk each and every day. Everyone took their responsibilities seriously and even though we may not have always agreed, we always voted with the best interest of the ROEA in mind. Royal Oak delegates included Bertha Arribas, Nila Wilson, Jacqueline Williams, Jane Drake (ROESPA), Sid Kardon and Stuart Asch.

If you have any questions, concerns or comments about the annual convention please do not hesitate to contact any of the above representatives. 

See pictures from the convention and find additional information online at ROEA.com.

Contract Feature

Paid Leave

Paid Leave - often referred to as sick leave - includes different categories of use. Please refer to page 33 of the contract for more information.

All teachers receive 11 days of paid leave at the beginning of the school year. Days that are not used are carried forward to the following year. If, for example, a teacher uses 5 paid days for the 2002-03 year, that teacher will have 17 days (11 new days plus 6 carryover days) available for the 2003-04 school year.

Paid leave days can be used for various reasons. The primary uses are your own illness or illness in the immediate family. If your child is ill, for example, you can use paid leave days to take care of your child. You can use as many days as you need for this purpose. The limitation on the number of leave days that can be utilized to care for a family member comes into effect for family members who do not reside with you or who are not your dependents. (A child at college is probably still your dependent and you could utilize as many paid leave days as necessary for their care since they would be an immediate family member.) If you are helping to care for an ill parent who lives in the area, you can have 3 paid leave days for this purpose. If the ill parent lives out of the area, 5 days of paid leave is available for their care.

Paid leave days are also used for the death of a family member (3 days for the metropolitan area; 5 days if the deceased is out of the area) and for personal leave. You have 3 personal leave days each year.

Extended Illness or Health Conditions

If a teacher needs days beyond their accumulated days due to a long term illness or health condition, paid days can be drawn from the sick leave bank. The bank starts out the academic year with 325 days available to us as a group. 

After 15 days of an illness, health condition or need to care for a dependent, we are eligible to draw time from the Sick Leave Bank if we have exhausted our own paid leave time. (Due to the 15 day requirement of the bank, there could be a gap in coverage if a teacher doesn't have 15 accumulated leave days. In this event, the teacher can apply to the Joint Committee for consideration of full coverage due to a financial hardship.)

A typical example of drawing days from the Sick Leave Bank is for maternity. A teacher may have 20 days of accumulated leave and her doctor recommends 6 weeks (30 school days) for the post partum recovery period. The teacher would exhaust her 20 days of accumulated time and would then draw (upon application to the Bank) 10 days from the Sick Leave Bank. The entire period of recovery would then be covered in full.

Epilogue

Hopefully, this explanation of Paid Leave makes our contractual rights clearer. If you are still slightly confused, wait until December when we expand upon different types of leave by discussing the Family and Medical Leave Act and our short-term disability coverage. You will really be confused at that time!

Sid

Questions About
the Contract?

E-mail Sid Kardon with your concerns about contract issues.
A "Contract Feature" will appear regularly in the Reporter.

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