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Social Media
SOCIAL MEDIA
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Board
See which of our members are representing our membership!
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Blog
Find union-related news and information.
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Scholarship
Our scholarship offers a chance to earn $1500 toward a college degree. Apply by March 31!
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Members
Members, follow the link for information pertaining to membership in Local 434!
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Who we are:Our union is a group of colleagues who have come together to advance our common interests with collective power. Our union is not an outside organization or a third party; it is a democratic organization run by our members, some elected and some appointed, who make decisions and set direction on the behalf of our members.
Any one of our members may run for an elected position or request an appointment on our Executive Council, which is our small voting body that conducts business on the membership's behalf from month to month. |
What we do:Since 1935, our collective action has had a substantial impact on our wages, benefits, equality, and workplace protections. In fact, unions as a whole have played a pivotal role in securing important gains that benefit everyone, though today many people take those gains for granted.
Find out more about our history! |
How we do it:
Contract BargainingOur members elect their bargaining team, negotiate terms, agree to a contract with the district, and democratically vote on that contract, which helps to provide fair wages, benefits, work rules, and job security.
Once bargained, every member in our union then votes on the resulting employment contract. |
Rights ProtectionsWe provide our members with support when their rights on the job are being violated. Every member has equal access to union representation when they believe their contract rights are being violated or that they're being unfairly targeted for discipline without due process.
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Workplace ProtectionsWhen we combine forces we have a more powerful voice, and our union members use their powerful voice to advocate for important issues like smaller class sizes, academic freedom, safe schools and workplaces, and other matters that have a positive impact on education, public services, and our communities.
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Union Myths and Misconceptions
Tenure Is a Job for Life
Teachers in our district don't receive tenure until their fifth year. In fact, teachers can be fired for any reason in the first four years and our Union has no say in the matter. The District doesn't even have to tell them why they're being fired until their fourth year. If a "bad" employee slips through the cracks in the first four years, it's not because our Union was protecting their job. In fact, we have no say in hiring or firing at all, at any time. We can only advocate for our members' rights to due process when proper procedure isn't followed.
Once tenure kicks in after the fourth year, it does not guarantee a job for life, either. It just requires the District to follow the correct process for reprimanding or firing its employees. This process is outlined by the Board of Education along with state and federal law. Employees must be given advanced notice and be allowed to have a hearing to defend themselves as well. Our union helps them do that through support and representation. This protection prevents an administrator from firing an employee over a personal vendetta, or from letting a beloved teacher go to open a position for a new football coach. That's job security, not a guaranteed job for life. Shouldn't all good workers have job security? |
Public Sector Unions Hold Taxpayers HostageSome people think unions are OK, just not public sector unions. People who choose to work in the public sector, however, are also tax-paying members of the community, and we believe it's unfair to expect them to give up their rights to negotiate wages and benefits as an organized group just because they work in the public sector. Should we expect public employees to give up their right to free speech or their right to bear arms? If not, then why would we expect them to give up any other rights afforded to all Americans in the Constitution?
We believe the right to organize and bargain is a right guaranteed to all workers, no matter the job and no matter the employer. All taxpayers still have power and representation through their elected school board members and elected representatives. Shouldn't all good workers have job security? |
Unions Protect Bad Workers
Being a member of a union does not make poorly performing employees impossible to fire. It just requires employers to follow the correct process for reprimanding or firing their workers. This process is outlined by state and federal law, as well as in the contracts that are negotiated with union members.
Workers must simply be given advanced notice before being reprimanded or fired, and must be allowed to have a hearing to defend themselves against their bosses' accusations. Unions help them do that through support and representation. This protection prevents bosses from firing workers over personal vendettas, or from firing a worker to open a position for their nephew, or their sister-in-law. Unions don't support employees who don't do their jobs properly; they just believe that workers shouldn't have to constantly worry about being fired without a well-justified reason, or without a chance to defend themselves against personal vendettas or unfair treatment from bosses, customers, or fellow co-workers. Shouldn't all workers have those same protections? |