Amherst-Pelham Educators Vote To Work To Rule
Photo: Amherst Pelham Education Association
Source: Amherst Pelham Education Association
The Amherst Pelham Education Association (APEA) announced on February 17, that they have voted to work to rule beginning February 27. The vote was supported by 95% of their membership. In a statement on their Facebook page they said “we are taking action to show the community all we do and all that is involved in a given school day”. As part of “Working to Rule, we will no longer work voluntarily beyond our required obligations and will enter and leave our classrooms for the day exactly at our contracted work times. This means we are doing only the required parts of our jobs and not going “above and beyond.” We are taking this action to call attention to our ongoing contract struggle and the lack of progress made related to our expired contract”.
“Our goal is to settle a fair contract that is beneficial to our students, families, and community. We will continue to work during contract hours. We will NOT stay in the building after our contractual work day is over. We will not do any work that is voluntary and unpaid. This will look differently in different schools, but may include tasks such as writing newsletters, purchasing snacks, writing grants, not staffing non-stipended clubs or activities, or working on voluntary faculty committees after hours. We will participate in extracurricular activities that are paid through stipends.
We believe in the collective bargaining process and remain committed to it. Our priorities in negotiations are aimed at ensuring that educators are able to give our students—your children—a first-rate education. We believe the best way to accomplish this is by settling a contract that provides:
–Maintaining protections for educator positions and student programs against position cuts.
–Fair and competitive wages and benefits that will attract and retain high-quality educators to work in our schools
–Adequate compensation for para-educators who work in specialized programs to safeguard against understaffing”
The APEA represents teachers, clericals, and para-educators who work for Amherst Regional High School, Summit Academy, Amherst Regional Middle School, and Crocker Farm, Fort River, Wildwood, and Pelham Elementary Schools.