There's a lot going on this week - and more to come.

Monday, Oct 3, 2022

Dear HTEC staff and community,

As we move into October, a lot is happening in our union! We wanted to send some updates:
 

Certificated Bargaining:

This coming Tuesday, October 4, is our next scheduled bargaining date. Please wear BLUE to show solidarity! At the last very brief session, our bargaining team presented counter proposals. Along with the proposals presented at the bargaining table, staff shared public messages for the board demanding fairness, transparency, and accountability. We hope this bargaining session will lead to an agreement, but we know we are beyond waiting and hoping. Regardless of the outcome of bargaining, we have our next scheduled Representative Council scheduled for Thursday. At that point, our elected representatives will decide on the next steps - either toward ratification of an agreement or toward escalation. Please be sure to stay connected with your site reps so that they can fill you in (and get your input!) in upcoming site meetings. (See this explanation of impasse vs. an agreement to get a preview of possible next steps.)

Classified Staff:

Our Classified Unit is preparing for their own bargaining! Now that we have two bargaining units in our union - one for Certificated and one for Classified staff, it’s time to elect a bargaining team, representatives, and officers. We are inviting all classified staff interested in these elected roles (or who just want to find out more about the union) to a series of info meetings, both in person and via Zoom. We know our classified staff work a wide range of schedules - from before and after school, during school days, and at night! - so have been holding a variety of meetings at different times. Please pass on this flyer to all classified staff!

All Staff Day: Show up in BLUE!

This Friday, October 7th, is All Staff Day. As we gather together in person, this is a great opportunity to visibly show our solidarity. Wear BLUE and your union swag! (We know there is also bargaining on Tuesday, so plan laundry accordingly or just find some blue and buttons!) At lunch, we will all gather in the park across the street from the Forum for a Q&A session with the bargaining team. Grab your food and come join us! This is a crucial chance to get your questions answered and make sure we are all in the loop, no matter the result of bargaining and rep council earlier in the week. We know plans may change on Friday, and if we need to pivot, we will update the info on our public calendar.

Officer Elections:

We currently have some vacant officer seats to fill, because of officers moving on and because of the additions of positions to represent our Classified bargaining unit. We have assembled an elections committee comprised of staff not planning to run themselves, and they will be sending out more information, including nomination forms and ballots. Right now our proposed election timeline is as follows:

• Nominations: 3rd week of October
• Voting: 4th week of October
• Results announced first week of November

Stay tuned for more info from the HTEC elections committee!