Local News
Answers to Burning Questions
Question: It has been said by SRPE that if employees petition for a representation election and Santa Rosa EA becomes the new bargaining agent, the provisions negotiated in the current contract will go away and automatically become null and void. Is that true?
Answer: NO. When Santa Rosa EA wins the bargaining rights and becomes the certified bargaining agent by the Public Employees Relations Commission, all of the negotiated provisions become the status quo, which means that wages, benefits, and other terms and conditions of employment must stay the same unless and until representatives from the new organization and the District bargain anything to add, delete, or modify what is already in place.* Because there will continue to be an employee organization recognized as the bargaining agent, the employer is prohibited from making any unilateral changes without engaging in the negotiations process.
So in the simplest terms, nothing changes unless the parties bargain to change it.
* See Lake Worth Utilities, et al v. City of Lake Worth, 11 FPER ¶16024 (1984) AND City of Ocala v. Marion County PBA, 392 So.2d 26, 32 (Fla. 1st DCA 1980)
Another BIG benefit of being a Santa Rosa EA member…
Lauren West, Language Arts teacher at HNMS: “I’ve been teaching in Santa Rosa County for 11 years. I recently made a decision to join Santa Rosa EA, largely because of a huge financial discount available to me through Santa Rosa EA’s state and national affiliates. I am currently working to obtain a Master’s Degree in Teaching and Curriculum through North Central University, a highly accredited on-line institution of higher education. The total cost of my Master’s Degree through North Central is about $20,000. As a member of Santa Rosa EA, and also the NEA, I receive a 15% discount on my tuition costs. This will save me $3,000 over the course of my studies. My Santa Rosa EA membership is a great investment. It’s an even better value because I am taking advantage of discounts on products and services available to me through our affiliates. Everyone needs to know about this discount and others available to us as Santa Rosa EA members. I know I cannot afford to miss an opportunity like this to save money!”
Your Choice, Your Voice
Do you want a professional association looking out for YOU? There is a choice, the Santa Rosa EA. Currently, Showing of Interest cards are being collected indicating that employees want an election to choose which organization will bargain for them. Please complete the card (please fill out the correct form – the top is for teachers and the bottom for education staff professionals), and send it one of two ways:
- Mail to Santa Rosa EA, P.O. Box 723, Milton, FL 32570
- Email us at [email protected] to arrange for your card to be picked up at your worksite
State News
FSBA focuses on third-grade retention rules
In the aftermath of parents suing over Florida’s third-grade promotion law, the Florida School Boards Association has called upon lawmakers to clarify the rules. Click here to read more.
National News
Reading Program Boosts Literacy, Strengthens Bonds in Military Families
National program helps ease the stress of separation for military families by having deployed parents read children’s books aloud via DVD for their kids to watch at home.