UGH! have to vent

[DisMomme]

I had to go somewhere slightly anonymous to vent. I just got a letter eliminating my position...not just for me but all 60 aides in our district.

Background: I have a great job in a school. I love my job and working with the kids. I don;t make a lot (really). but I also only work 180 days a year. I am an hourly employee making a little over minimum wage. I only get paid for the days I work, no paychecks during the summer, but I do carry the health ins for our family. I also get to be home with the kids in the summer. It is a sacrifice my husband and I made 9 years ago when I went back to work.

Today the Supt. gave us all letter saying that she was eliminating our positions in order to create a new position. Our contract is up at the end of this school year and instead of negotiating the change with us she is blanket eliminating us. We can of course accept a new position (if offered).

Any Union lawyers or union savvy Dissers out there with some advice? Is this legal? Can the district do this to us?

Please no flames, I know there are a lot of people out there suffering through this recession. I know in this economy no one is safe but after 9 years I never expected this. How can management just eliminate everyone to change the working conditions they want.

 

[Interpol]

Today the Supt. gave us all letter saying that she was eliminating our positions in order to create a new position. Our contract is up at the end of this school year and instead of negotiating the change with us she is blanket eliminating us. We can of course accept a new position (if offered).

Any Union lawyers or union savvy Dissers out there with some advice? Is this legal? Can the district do this to us?

Please no flames, I know there are a lot of people out there suffering through this recession. I know in this economy no one is safe but after 9 years I never expected this. How can management just eliminate everyone to change the working conditions they want.

You answered your own question there. Yes, it's perfectly legal.

Are you in a union? If not, union lawyers and organized labor laws don't apply to you.

 

[kwelch10377]

Are you part of the union? I would talk to them if so.

In general though, of course positions can be eliminated. Companies do it all the time. They just did it at my company and eliminated 180 people due to a reorganization. There are other position open and those people are welcome to apply for those.

Even if they didn't eliminate your postion they also could have just told you that they would not be renewing your contract since it is up at the end of the year.

 

[DisMomme]

You answered your own question there. Yes, it's perfectly legal.

Are you in a union? If not, union lawyers and organized labor laws don't apply to you.

Yes we are part of the Teachers Support Union. The laws should apply and this just doesn't seen right. All the admin has to do is renegotiate our contract like they would this year normally. Why eliminate the entire position just to eliminate 4 days out of our work year?

 

[HsvTeacher]

I had to go somewhere slightly anonymous to vent. I just got a letter eliminating my position...not just for me but all 60 aides in our district.

Background: I have a great job in a school. I don;t make a lot (really). but I also only work 180 days a year. I am an hourly employee making a little over minimum wage. I only get paid for the days I work, no paychecks during the summer, but I do carry the health ins for our family. I also get to be home with the kids in the summer. It is a sacrifice my husband and I made 9 years ago when I went back to work.

Today the Supt. gave us all letter saying that she was eliminating our positions in order to create a new position. Our contract is up at the end of this school year and instead of negotiating the change with us she is blanket eliminating us. We can of course accept a new position (if offered).

Any Union lawyers or union savvy Dissers out there with some advice? Is this legal? Can the district do this to us?

Please no flames, I know there are a lot of people out there suffering through this recession. I know in this economy no one is safe but after 9 years I never expected this. How can management just eliminate everyone to change the working conditions they want.

First of all, big hugs!

Unfortunately, this is happening in school districts across the country. Last year in our district, they eliminated a bunch of instructional assistant positions claiming a reduction in force. They ended up contracting out the jobs so they didn't have to pay benefits to the assistants.

Alabama doesn't have a teachers' union so I'm not sure how things would be different in a union state.

 

[Interpol]

Yes we are part of the Teachers Support Union. The laws should apply and this just doesn't seen right. All the admin has to do is renegotiate our contract like they would this year normally. Why eliminate the entire position just to eliminate 4 days out of our work year?

With what limited information an outsider like me has with regards to your situation, I don't see any problem - your contract expires this year. The school district is under no obligation to renew or renegotiate a contract if it isn't compelled to. I suspect that it's due to decreased revenue and budget cutting and not some secret union busting agenda.

 

[disneychrista]

This could simply be a negotiating tactic.

You say the law should apply, when in fact the "law" does not in fact guarentee employment. Most states are at-will, which means that you can lose your job anytime, but also allows you to quit at any time also.

 

[DisMomme]

I guess I know all this. I'm just scared to be out of a job and I'm angry. It makes sense for admin to do this now, I just still don't get why renegotiating is not an option. There are already clauses in there for lowering the workforce and laying people off and it seems a shorter calendar year would also be a negotiating point. I may still have a job...be offered a new position...it's just a scary place to be right now.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Wow, that stinks. We always worry about the same with my wife's job - clerk at the elementary school where my daughters go. Only the teachers are in the union here though, not support staff. Hope it works out for ya!

 

[kwelch10377]

This new position may have different job responsibilties and not all the current aides may be qualified for the new position.

 

[jerseygirl81]

This is happening by us as well. I am a part-time aide with no benefits, they are getting rid of the full time positions (except for the handful who have 20 yrs and up) because of the cost of their medical benefits. It stinks but perfectly legal.

 

[starry_solo]

I had to go somewhere slightly anonymous to vent. I just got a letter eliminating my position...not just for me but all 60 aides in our district.

Background: I have a great job in a school. I love my job and working with the kids. I don;t make a lot (really). but I also only work 180 days a year. I am an hourly employee making a little over minimum wage. I only get paid for the days I work, no paychecks during the summer, but I do carry the health ins for our family. I also get to be home with the kids in the summer. It is a sacrifice my husband and I made 9 years ago when I went back to work.

Today the Supt. gave us all letter saying that she was eliminating our positions in order to create a new position. Our contract is up at the end of this school year and instead of negotiating the change with us she is blanket eliminating us. We can of course accept a new position (if offered).

Any Union lawyers or union savvy Dissers out there with some advice? Is this legal? Can the district do this to us?

Please no flames, I know there are a lot of people out there suffering through this recession. I know in this economy no one is safe but after 9 years I never expected this. How can management just eliminate everyone to change the working conditions they want.

What state are you in? That might help with respect to union laws.

As far as the contract, the contract is with the union. Not an individual contract with the employee. Most union contracts do not stipulate that an employer has to have x number of employees in x number of classifications so, ultimately, it doesn't matter whether the contract is due to be renegotiated. An employer can eliminate positions at any time during the term of a contract. Depending on the # of employees eliminated, the employer would have to give an appropriate amount of notice (sometimes 2 weeks, sometimes 1 month).

It doesn't look like you can do anything about it. BUT, since you are in a union, talk with your union and see if you can. Maybe file a grievance?

 

[DisMomme]

What state are you in? That might help with respect to union laws.

As far as the contract, the contract is with the union. Not an individual contract with the employee. Most union contracts do not stipulate that an employer has to have x number of employees in x number of classifications so, ultimately, it doesn't matter whether the contract is due to be renegotiated. An employer can eliminate positions at any time during the term of a contract. Depending on the # of employees eliminated, the employer would have to give an appropriate amount of notice (sometimes 2 weeks, sometimes 1 month).

This is what I don't understand...it is not just my position but the entire bargaining unit they will eliminate then create a new position. Some of us will be asked to return.

It doesn't look like you can do anything about it. BUT, since you are in a union, talk with your union and see if you can. Maybe file a grievance?
I believe a grievance has been filed on all our behalves. TY for this advice, I will ask the union rep to be sure

_

 

[DisMomme]

This is happening by us as well. I am a part-time aide with no benefits, they are getting rid of the full time positions (except for the handful who have 20 yrs and up) because of the cost of their medical benefits. It stinks but perfectly legal.

That stinks! We have many aides that are working as long term subs with no benefits.

I will be okay in our situation (doesn't mean I'm not angry or scared) but I really feel bad for my coworkers (many single income) that will have even less soon, or none.

 

[Hannathy]

Yes we are part of the Teachers Support Union. The laws should apply and this just doesn't seen right. All the admin has to do is renegotiate our contract like they would this year normally. Why eliminate the entire position just to eliminate 4 days out of our work year?

Ask your union. I wouldn't be surprised if the union told then to go jump off a bridge when they approached them. Or they have been hard to work with in the past, didn't negotiate or give up things easily.

 

[honeydiane1953]

Interpol has it right. This IS happening all over sad to say.

 

[mistysue]

To put it in perspective- if you make around minimum wage, it wouldn't be a stretch to think that they might pay as much for your insurance as you get paid. If they can cut out EVERYBODY and rehire people without benefits, they could cut their costs nearly in half.
How many fees does your union charge the schools? You might have one that is reasonable, but at my job we deal with a labor union where the guys see little over half of what we pay out. (so they take home ~$30/hour and cost us $55) We can not even come close to competing with our competitors who don't use union labor.

If they need to cut costs, of course they may try to get rid of the union. I'm not trying to say it's a good thing for employees, it is a crappy situation all around. The upside is, since you have been a union member you have an idea of what you cost them as a union employee. Try to use that information to your advantage when negotiating for your own position. You may even come out ahead without having the union.

 

[Kteacher]

Just sent you a pm

 

[nunzia]

I guess I know all this. I'm just scared to be out of a job and I'm angry. It makes sense for admin to do this now, I just still don't get why renegotiating is not an option. There are already clauses in there for lowering the workforce and laying people off and it seems a shorter calendar year would also be a negotiating point. I may still have a job...be offered a new position...it's just a scary place to be right now.

This may be why they felt the best way to make the change was to eliminate the existing position and then just offer a new one with 4 days removed..to not have to go through a possibly lengthy and expensive union negotiation. I know and understand how nervous you feel, but hopefully this is just a glitch and you can re-apply and have the same job, but with just 4 less days. Hang in there

 

[girli565]

If your contract is up at the end and she's telling you that you won't have a new contract next year (no positions) then it's legal. It sucks but it's happening at a lot of school districts all over the country.

I teach EBD at a school with a huge population of EBD students (one of the biggest in the district) so I don't worry about my job, but our paraprofessionals are all worried. Para positions that open up next year in the district will now be changed from full time to part time (under 40hrs to make them part time). It's awful. And current full time paras have to hope the principal finds enough money to keep them on for the next school year.