OUR News Release!

NEWS RELEASE

For more information, Contact: April 1, 2010
Espaňola-NEA President Brian Every
(505) 927-0284

Espaňola District Slaps Education Support Personnel:
Union Files Prohibited Practice Complaint

“It’s just plain wrong,” says Espaňola-NEA President Brian Every of the Espaňola school district’s declaration that they are “suspending” negotiations with the union over a new Collective Bargaining Agreement for Education Support Personnel in the district.

A letter from Superintendent Archuleta including the district’s declaration was received by the union Tuesday evening, March 30, 2010. One of our custodian members called it “a slap in the face of us working people who provide the students a clean and safe environment in which to learn.”

The Espaňola-NEA today responded to the district’s declaration by filing a Prohibited Practice Complaint about the action with the New Mexico Public Employee Labor Relations Board. The state labor board has the authority to order the district back to the bargaining table. The union’s complaint cites the district’s action is “bad faith bargaining” in violation of the New Mexico Public Employee Bargaining Act.

With their action, says Every, “the district is trying to deprive the lowest paid employees of their legal rights. We won’t let that happen. We’re following the process, while they act like they are above the law, and they seem to believe the district’s support personnel can’t speak for themselves,” said Every.

The December, 2007 vote in favor of collective bargaining was 88 to 1 among the employees eligible to vote on whether the Espaňola-NEA should negotiate on behalf of district employees in that unit.

The vote among all employees was 401 to 15. “It is an outrage that the District claims the union lacks support of the employees,” noted Espaňola-NEA Chief Negotiator Laurel Fain. “We have negotiated two successive contracts with the district and our membership continues to grow,” added Fain. It’s obvious the district needs to see many more dues paying members before they take seriously their responsibility to treat all employees with the respect we deserve.“

“There is absolutely no role for the employer in any action which could possibly end the union’s status as the Exclusive Representative. In fact, it is strictly prohibited under the law from doing so,” says Charles Goodmacher, NEA-New Mexico’s staff working with the local Espaňola-NEA.