ROEA REPORTER

DECEMBER, 2001

GRIEVANCE UPDATE

As you may know, the contractually agreed upon release time for the Association President was reduced unilaterally by the Administration. As President, I currently have one hour daily to conduct Association business compared to 40% release time for the last two years. As a result, my ability (and the ability of future Presidents) to serve our membership has been severely impacted. The result of the Administration’s action has been to impair the effectiveness of our Union. One example of this is that I do not have the time to write articles for THE ROEA REPORTER. This is a problem for us as an organization as I consider it crucial that you know about current union issues. 

We have filed for arbitration based on a consistent past practice of 40% or more release time for the President to conduct Association business. (An arbitrator is a labor judge who hears testimony from each party and decides whether the contract has been violated. The arbitrator has the power to set remedies if the ruling is in our favor. We have asked for a return of release time to the negotiated 40% level as well as compensation to the ROEA for the reduction in member services that we are weathering this year.) The arbitration case is scheduled to be heard on January 16th. Past Presidents Dave Mariotti and Gary Houck have graciously agreed to testify in our behalf.

We have also filed an Unfair Labor Practice charge with the Michigan Employment Relations Commission. The charge is that release time of 40% was acknowledged and clearly affirmed during the negotiation process for our current contract and the administration is not fulfilling its negotiated commitment. 

The reason for the administration’s action is the content of THE ROEA REPORTER. The articles in our newsletter are sometimes critical of administrative actions or challenge administrative policy. In response, administration has reduced the amount of time available for union activity. 

A part of our presentation will be a defense of freedom of expression for teachers. The administration’s action demonstrates two points. First, what we have been saying as teachers is meaningful and important - why else limit time for Association activities such as publishing our newsletter? And, second, even in our society, free speech isn’t always free.

COLLABORATION

Earlier this year, voters passed County millages for special education and vocational education. Both the ROEA and the School Board supported the special education millage as its passage would directly benefit Royal Oak students. The ROEA supported the vocational education millage as well.

Thoughout the pre-election period, we shared information with the administration and together developed strategies that would help to pass the millage. In the final days before the vote Dr. Gaynor and I co-authored a letter to all Royal Oak employees, encouraging them to support the millage.

Many of our members generously donated time to the election. Julie Harper, Stacie Lindsey, Barbara Pollis, Dayle Prinstein, and Nila wilson gave their time on the Sunday before the election to make phone calls from our union office. Many other teachers called MEA residents of the county from their homes. 

Our joint efforts were successful and both ballots passed. However, an anti-tax group demanded that the vote be overturned, claiming that the early voting date (September was chosen to intentionally not give voters enough time to learn more about the proposals. Again, we planned with the administration and attended a post election County hearing. Despite harsh and critical anti-education statements from some members of the community (and supportive statements by others) the county voted to implement the new millages.

We worked in concert with the administration on another issue of importance to the District. The Oakland County ISD had granted a charter to a church in Clawson to run a charter school called The Marie Bernier Leadership Academy. Based on newspaper reports and the complaints of Clawson citizens, it was evident that the Christian Life Spirit Church was directly administering the school and that religion was a part of the curriculum. Some of our members (Stuart Asch, Linda Flynn and I) attended a community meeting in Clawson which was arranged by the Oakland County ISD in response to complaints. Dr. Gaynor and several of our Board Members also attended. I expressed that for the ISD to fund a religious entity was government sponsorship of religion and, therefore, a violation of the Constitution.  Dr. Gaynor had reviewed the chartering document and pointed to violations of the document by the Academy. The Academy principal, for example, was not certified. Additionally the Academy appeared to be making a huge profit at public expense. Our Board members questioned why the charter was granted in our area of the County - replete as it is with schools of choice and public school academy options that were already available to students.

Eventually, our collaborative efforts along with letters and calls to the ISD lead to the revocation of the charter.

EPILOGUE

The ISD is being sued by the anti-tax group and the Spirit Life Christian Church. The anti-public education forces are relentless and show the necessity for continuing support of MEA political activity via the Political Action Committee.

INTERESTING ITEMS OF
(HOPEFULLY) NO RELEVANCE TO US

Senator: Suffrage was a mistake

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS - Oakland Press 9/29/01

TOPEKA, Kan. - A female state senator says she views women's suffrage as a sign that American society doesn’t value the family.

Sen. Kay O’Connor on Friday confirmed reports that she told leaders of the Johnson County League of Women Voters she does not celebrate the enactment of the 19th Amendment in 1920, which gave women the right to vote, "We have a society that does tear families apart” O’Connor said: "I think the 19th Amendment, while it's not an evil in and of itself, is a symptom of something I don’t approve of.’

O’Connor, 59, who describes herself as an "old-fashioned conservative lady," serves as vice chairwoman of the Senate Elections and Local Government Committee.

She says she believes women should have the right to cast their ballot but if men were doing their job of taking care of women and children, then women wouldn’t need to vote. "I believe the man should be the head of the family. The woman should be the heart of the family," she said.

O’Connor, one of the Legislature’s most conservative members on social issues, said she was forced into the workplace because of her ailing daughter's medical bills. She is serving her first year in the Senate after having served eight years in the House.

Legislative leaders say they weren’t planning any action against O’Connor.

"I admire her for the courage of her convictions; I just can’t imagine anyone in 2001 having those convictions," said state Rep. Bill Reardon, a Democrat. 

The above article was recently published in the OAKLAND PRESS. The irony of a woman who is an elected representative not supporting the right of women to vote is apparently lost on Senator O’Connor.