Archive: February 2001

Contract Waivers
By Steve Kaplan, UniServe Field Organizer

Article 25, Section 25.3 - "Recognizing that education reform activity may require collective bargaining flexibility on a continuing basis, the District and the Association adopt the following guidelines to assist in the implementation of the joint commitment."

The contract states that education reform proposals requiring a waiver are to be submitted to the Contract Administration Committee for review. Both the District and the Association must ratify such requests and "each party will determine its own procedures for ratifying any written agreements which modify existing contract provisions." SDEA procedures include a secret ballot vote of all unit members run by the site Association Representative and a yes vote by at least a two to one margin as preconditions, before a waiver request will be considered by our Board of Directors.

A waiver form is available. The form carries additional information: waiver requests must be submitted eight weeks prior to implementation; waivers to go into effect at the start of a school year are to be submitted by April 15, of the previous school year; and all waivers are for one year and must be renewed if they are to be continued. Renewal requires the whole process including the vote to be repeated.