​​NWTA General Membership Meeting September 12, 2024 (Unofficial)

BOARD OF DIRECTORS ZOOM  
3:45 pm
Motion to approve previous BOD minutes submitted by Tracy Bloom from May 9, 2024 - 1st Rob Udy   2nd Rene Brock  No one opposed. Carried.

TREASURER'S REPORT: Dan Krolewski 
Checking:      $ 2,647.57
Savings:        $ 67,354.98
Scholarship:  $ 7,496.79
Pac: $0
Darla asked for a motion to accept Treasurer’s Report: 1st Nicholas Azzarella, 2nd Russ Nixon. Carried unanimously

COMMUNICATIONS AND DISTRIBUTIONS OF MATERIALS: Darla Bubar

1. Darla shared dates and locations for upcoming NYSUT events
2. Thank you cards

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GOOD OF THE ORDER
Colonial Village:  Russ Nixon, Jeff Hess, Angela Rookey

•   Nothing at this time

Errick Road: Stacey Brooks, Jennifer Frank

• Nothing at this time
• Have met with Nora, question about acceptable use policy: 
  • If we don’t delete files, what happens?

Edward Town Middle School: Krista Miller, Patrick Creamer, Amanda Jasper, Sue Zamorski, Rae Anne Roggow

• Issue with inequity in duties
• Premise: No precedent for teachers to account for day minute-by-minute
• Clarification - just need to be present, visible in hallways
• People are hoping bus duty will be rotated so it is not same teachers outside doing bus duty all year

High School: Matt McClemont, Nicholas Azzarella, Kristen Raimondi, Matt DiCanio, Rick Wrazin

• Settling in with new principal
• Higher level of communication which is nice
• Received word this week that district will collapse two self-contained classrooms into one  
• Marissa said she could get building to say they don't see anything to protect members; Lindsay there as rep said we WILL say something
• Issue around certification and teaching assignments and bidding on positions
• Ultimately there appears to be no plan; we are back to not knowing what is going to happen
• Felt like they were trying to repurpose a position with no clear plan at all for what the second person (lower seniority) will be doing but considering assigning her teaching outside of certification
• We will let Marissa KNow that we need union time on Oct 9th for Constitution/By-laws convo with faculty

Tuscarora School: Rene Brock, Jeannine Crosby, Mike Robinson

• Nothing to report
• NYSUT visiting Tuscarora School on September 30th to see what Orange Shirt Day is all about  

West Street School: Michelle Kuriscak, Rob Udy, Kristen Corsero

• Had to clarify to Theron that all elementary schools get $600 for clubs
• He was receptive after not paying anything last year
• Intramurals is not a club - listed separately in the contract

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COMMITTEE REPORTS

Constitution & By-Laws: Russ Nixon (tabled from last mtg)

• Committee: Reps from across the district
• Did not remove anything from it
• Asking for additions and updates
• Added language under guidance from NYSUT
  • Language addressing any discrimination
  • Better definition of active member in good standing
  • Leave of absence and right to vote
  • Who has right to vote?
  • Who has right to representation by NYSUT?
  • Protections of rights of members
  • Make up of Negotiations Team - representation
  • Succession
  • Duties of the Executive Board
  • No changes to BOD language
  • No changes to affiliation
  • Added how an amendment will be proposed and adopted

 

• Questions? Will this be shared to all members? Will this be presented to faculty before BOD adopts it?
• Being presented today. You all got copies of it last night through app. Next meeting in October 17th we vote on it with new board of directors who are elected to represent the faculty. You absolutely can discuss with faculty.
• Article 9 - it appears as though we would get copies to bring back to our building to discuss (weigh in) then come back to BOD to vote
• RUSS - You have ability to share this document on app to BOD
• Lindsay - I can share to the full membership, no reason not to
• Patrick - Can I get a copy of highlighted changes?
• Darla - it is up to us as the BOD to have discussions with faculty about the constitution, according to current Constitution
• DanK - Can discuss in union meetings that are tacked on to faculty meetings
• Jeff Steinel - Is there anything about Absentee ballots for ratification? 
• Russ - Yes, we just haven’t had the chance to get to it yet but yes it is at the end of the bylaws
• Jeff - Can we change how committee members are picked? Presently hand picked by executive board. Can that be changed?
• DanK - Constitution Committee was very representative
• Jeff - Yes, but someone like me would have liked to serve but I get passed over so I think it isn’t fair
• Russ - Anything that is in black already exists. It is the language.
• DanK - NYSUT recommends to have BOD vote on constitution bc too many people to put discussion and voting to all at once
• Lindsay - Present language does not guarantee representation, it is at the whim of for example: vp picks Negs Team, etc. Russ’s new language makes it formal that make up of Negs Team should be representative of members from all buildings - Russ added actual guard rails!
• Russ - These are the discussions we want our reps to have with faculty
• Pat - Need clarification to who can bring an amendment proposal to the board? 
• Russ - Currently amendments can adopt at any regular meeting, copies have been distributed to BOD for faculty discussion. We added language for proposing an amendment.
• Darla -A faculty member can bring a proposal to a rep; rep can bring that amendment to BOD
• Pat - So this provides a vehicle to get things proposed, even if you are not BOD
• Rene - Reminds us of the role of the building rep. Impact of the one on one conversations. Reminds us to communicate well.
• Russ - We serve a role in the larger organization. Yes, we take problems to administrators but also to actively participate in these BOD meetings
• Darla - And it is important that you use faculty meeting time to keep communication flow
• Russ - By-laws:
  • Dues language (recommended by NYSUT)
  • DanK - We have to be clear here that if we choose to increase dues which we have not done in a really long time, we would have to change the by laws document to reflect that increase
  • We have to submit to NYSUT for approval
  • General Membership Meetings - who can call them? How many? When do we notify members about General Membership meetings?
  • Negs Team Selection
  • Officer Succession
  • Member in good standing in order to hold office
  • Payment of officers - no changes
  • Exec Committee responsibilities
  • Building Reps - Attendance requirements; member not adhering to attendance requirement could be removed by exec board and call an election to replace the rep
  • Language for alternates
  • Language for representation based on population in buildings
  • Added about standing committees - to give their reports
  • Elections and posting of results
  • Exec Office - who can be nominated, and how info will be dispersed
  • Nomination procedures
  • Sue - Questioning from the past, amount of time around ratification, hasn’t there been shorter timeline?
  • Russ - New language ensures time to consider
  • Process to amend by-laws
  • Darla - BOD will get copy of this document with changes in blue; take back to faculty to discuss; presented at this meeting, will vote at next meeting 
  • Jeff - Will there be BOD raise?
  • DanK - We raised from $25/meeting to $40 for BOD and added stipend for chairs; Exec Officers have not received raises in a LONG time. No way to increase any of this without raising dues

NYSUT ELT REP: Rene Brock

•  

Agenda: Lindsay Jordan

•  End of October, next AGENDA
• Consider serving by sharing for your building
• TUSC under represented
• Please share - people enjoy seeing what teachers are sharing

Grievance/Elementary:  Nicole Pasceri 

•   Nothing to report

Grievance/Secondary:  John Coulter

• Darla will update BOD on Arbitration. 
• John - Voluntary transfer went to BOE so now heading to arbitration
• This has not happened since the early 80’s
• NYSUT pays 25%; NWTA pays 25% District pays 50%; whatever arbitrators decide, it is binding, it becomes the rule
• Earliest we will get a report, win or lose, is the end of January/early February, fyi
• No idea of the cost until the end, wrapped up in the time it takes for arbitrator to read over documents, travel, how long to write report, etc.

Membership: Deb Coulter

• Trickling in with new member applications 

.
Negotiations: Mary Breier

•  Update in app
• Met in July and twice in September
• Discussed language of proposals
• Waiting for subcommittees to submit reports
• Hoping to begin formal negotiations October 1st

Member Engagement:  Kris Cudzillo 

• Kris was working on an Octoberfest event but then he got injured
• Everything on hold, stay tuned

NYSUT WOMEN'S Committee: Jen Taravella/Nicca Lebeda 

• Breast Cancer Walk, October 19th, 10 am
• Posted in app, you can sign up there
• Will share flyer that can be posted in classrooms

PAC: (we need a PAC chair)

• We need a chair
• Attends Committee of 100 in March  
• Critical during lobbying efforts Committee of 100
• Critical during school board elections/getting school budget passed
• Would be great to have a teacher who is a district resident to do this, we need somebody homegrown

Public Relations: Jen Huchzermeier

• Kindergarten bags usually go out around Hallowe’en
• Falcon Pride in May
• Banners in events, sponsorships
  
  
  

Retiree Rep: Donna Larson

• Nothing to report

Scholarship:  Lindsay Yates

• Taking over for Mary Graber
• Lindsay - post in app for payroll deductions for scholarship

Sick Leave Bank: Lori Godell 

• NWTA Sick Bank is very healthy
• June 2024 our balance was 1828.5 days
• Will start donations once the roster is updated

Social Justice/Book Study:  Bea Arnone 

• Happy Hour September 20th - check school mailbox for flyer
• Other committee chairs are welcome to share info on their committee
• Caring Closet is one pool of money, committee money is separate from that (we are not taking from caring closet fund)
• You can join just a project, don’t have to be on the committee to do that
• Just come and bring your ideas

Sunshine Committee: Kara Kirk

•   

TALAT “Take A Look At Teaching” Club: (grant money still left. Darla has folder from Beth)

• Looking for someone to take over this as well
• Money left over from Beth’s grant

Vote/Cope: Mary Breier

• Drive starts in October
• Need list of new teachers
• Will need help with distribution in your school

Elections: Eric Belter 

• Darla: Need to set date for elections  
  • Can we postpone building rep elections until after Constitution/By-laws gets voted on in fidelity with BOD who heard Russ presentation today, for 10/17 - Need a motion: 1st Kristen Raimondi, 2nd Matt DiCanio. Carried.
  • We can set the date of building rep elections at the 10/17 meeting

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Darla Bubar/ Final Thoughts - 
Old Business - Special Ed

New Business - Curriculum Programs

• APPR
• HEAT BILL PASSED, Legislature and Assembly - waiting on Gov Hochul to be signed
  • If classroom measures 82 degrees, district must have plan to cool your room
  • If classroom measures 88 degrees district must move you to a place that is cooler or school could close for a Heat Day

NEXT NWTA BOD MEETING WILL BE:
October 17, 2024

• 3:45 pm 
• In-person @ETMS
• Will decide building elections
• Will decide on next mtg, in person or zoom
• Darla’s classroom L206

Motion to adjourn. 1st Matt DiCanio, 2nd Lindsay Jordan. Carried.
Meeting adjourned at 5:30 pm

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