The Alberta Teachers’ Association

At the end of August 2012, the Alberta Teachers’ Association’s 62 collective agreements will expire.

As a service to members, the ATA’s Teacher Welfare program area has prepared a series of articles to assist members during the bargaining process. The following articles published in the ATA News to date are posted online (www.teachers.ab.ca):

• We ratified the opening ­proposal. Now what?—ATA News, April 10, 2012
• Communicating with members during negotiations—ATA News, March 13, 2012
• “BUGM” has nothing to do with insects—ATA News, ­January 17, 2012
• Make your voice heard—ATA News, November 22, 2011
• Why do we have a union?—ATA News, October 25, 2011
• The teaching profession and collective bargaining—ATA News, September 13, 2011
• Union isn’t a dirty word—ATA News, June 14, 2011

The Setting

Sandy and Chris are in a ­science prep lab having a morning coffee the day after a bargaining unit general meeting (BUGM).

Sandy: Hey, Chris, it was good to see you at the BUGM last night. I was happy that you brought forward the amendment about adding aunt and uncle to compassionate leave. Obviously it was a good amendment because it passed unanimously.

Chris: Thanks. Now I guess the rest of the work is up to the NSC (Negotiating Sub Committee). It’s their job to negotiate and sign a memorandum of agreement with the school board.

Sandy: You’re partly correct about that, but in this round of bargaining there will be an RBA (representative of the bargaining agent) assigned to each bargaining unit. The RBA is one of seven ATA staff officers, and each bargaining unit is assigned an RBA. The RBA works with the NSC to assist us in attaining a memorandum of agreement.

Chris: Speaking of working with the NSC, I can’t believe that two teachers used up 15 minutes of the BUGM for a clause that would allow them to attend their children’s convocation on a school day. Can’t they take a personal day like everyone else?

Sandy: Every teacher is entitled to make an amendment. The NSC’s duty is to represent all teachers fairly. And didn’t you notice that the amendment passed by a large number? Other teachers in Alberta have this clause, so kudos to those teachers for their amendment.

Chris: So what is my role in this whole bargaining process?

Sandy: Make sure you keep up to date by reading all memos from the NSC or EPC ­(Economic ­Policy Committee). The ­committee will send updates about where negotiations are at. Further, make sure you attend any meetings that the president calls. Your voice is important. The NSC needs to know teachers’ opinions. The NSC may present us with a memorandum that we have to accept or reject. If negotiations aren’t working out, then we may have to vote for mediation ­services.

Chris: That sounds easy enough. But what if I have questions? Can I contact my EPC or NSC chair? Can I use my school e-mail?

Sandy: A better idea would be a phone call or to use your home e-mail. Most issues shouldn’t be communicated through employers’ e-mail. As I mentioned earlier, be alert for memos from the EPC or NSC that your ATA staff rep distributes.

Chris: Is it okay to talk to my neighbour about negotiations—she’s a board member and we get along fine.

Sandy: Neighbourly chat is great, Chris, but you and your neighbour are crossing the line if you talk about negotiations. Only the EPC and NSC should channel information to you about ­negotiations. You and your neighbour are free to talk about pretty much anything else, but keep employment and negotiation issues out of the conversation. Talking about negotiations undercuts the work of the EPC and NSC, and misrepresents the collective voice of your colleagues. Rumours spread when people give out ­information they shouldn’t be giving out. Keep those discussions between you and your colleagues.

Chris: So what happens when our collective agreement expires this August? What will we do without a collective agreement?

Sandy: Until a memorandum of agreement is voted on and signed by both sides, we’ll continue to follow the current agreement. The bargaining process takes time but it will be completed in due time. We need to allow parties from both sides to work together to achieve an agreement that works for everyone.