sateach.org .: SAEA - Santa Ana Educators Association

4.0 ASSOCIATION RIGHTS

4.1	The Association shall have the right to make use of school buildings and facilities at all reasonable hours when not otherwise being utilized as determined by the site administrator. The Association must obtain permission from the site administrator prior to the use of any equipment for any Association business

4.2	IThe Association shall have the right to post notices of activities and matters of Association concern on designated bulletin boards, at least one of which shall be provided at each school site in an area frequented by unit members. The Association may use the District mail service in a manner acceptable to the United States Postal Service and unit member mailboxes for communications to unit members. All posted material and material placed in mailboxes shall be identified as Association material. A copy shall be provided the site administrator or placed in his/her office prior to posting or placing in mailboxes for information purposes. A copy shall be sent to the Associate Superintendent, Human Resources.

4.2.1		BWhen notice of activities and matters of concern originate with CTA or NEA, a cover letters shall be provided by SAEA to the site principal or his/her designee authorizing the posting and/or distribution to the mail boxes, along with a copy of the materials to be posted and/or entered into the mailboxes.

4.2.2		Posting of election material on the designated bulletin board(s) and/or placing of election materials in the mail boxes shall be allowed. Said materials shall involve the internal elections of the Association and need not show Association identification.

4.2.3		Authorized representatives of SAEA shall be permitted the use of district email, faxes, and other electronic devices to transact official Association business provided the business does not interfere with the instructional process and/or interfere with the performance of assignments made by the administrator.
		A. Email, faxes, and other electronic devices may not be utilized to encourage or condone illegal activities.
		B. Email may be used by unit members outside times of active instruction such as before and after school and during duty free lunches.
		C. Association shall have the right to sign and process all grievances without the presence of the unit member on whose behalf the grievance is processed.
		1. This does not change section 6.11.8 of the CBA which provides for the right of an individual to file and process his/her grievance without Association representation.
4.3	Authorized representatives of the Association shall be permitted to transact official Association business on school property provided the business does not interfere with the instructional process and/or interfere with the performance of assignments made by the administrator.

4.4	Tuesday shall be designated as Association meeting day. No meetings with required attendance by unit members will be scheduled from the end of the school day until 7:00 p.m. On the Tuesday on which the Association’s Representative Council meets, no meetings with required attendance by unit members will be scheduled after the end of the school day. Voluntary attendance meetings on Tuesday will be limited.

4.5	Names, addresses, site location and telephone numbers of all District unit members, except those who have indicated the information be withheld, shall be provided at cost to the Association no later that November 1 of each school year.

4.6	The Association President’s designee shall be provided up to sixty (60) days of release time at no loss of salary or other benefits, with the cost of the substitute borne by the Association.

4.6.1		The Association President shall be released with full salary and benefits from all District responsibilities for the term of this Agreement. The Association shall reimburse the District the amount of one-half (1/2) the Association President’s salary and benefits for that period.
		A. The position of President of the Santa Ana Educators’ Association (SAEA) shall be regarded as a 12-month assignment (225-day calendar) and shall be paid monthly. The placement on the Certificated Salary schedule shall be appropriate for the President of SAEA. That portion beyond the traditional 10-month calendar shall be equal to the daily rate of pay for the additional days of assignment beyond the traditional calendar year. Upon receipt of District invoice, the Association shall reimburse the Santa Ana Unified School District for the actual added amount as well as the STRS, Medicare, and Workers’ Compensation costs/expenses resulting from the additional days beyond the traditional calendar year. The President of SAEA shall continue to be a full-time release position.
4.6.2		The District shall provide up to forty (40) days of release time for unit members who serve on committees of CTA/NEA to attend required meetings. However, no individual unit member shall be released for such purposes more than twenty (20) days in any one school year. The cost will be billed to the respective organization.

4.6.3		The District shall provide 50% of the total number of days needed by the Association for the unit members to participate in NEA-sponsored meetings. The cost will be billed to SAEA.

4.7	A unit member may be allowed to obtain representation in all interviews concerning terms and conditions within the contract and shall be allowed to obtain representation in any matter which the unit believes may lead to discipline. Any denial of such representation may be appealed to the Associate Superintendent, Human Resources. Obtaining such representation shall not unduly delay the interview.

4.8	Association Membership/Organizational Security/Deductions

4.8.1		Any unit member who is an Association member on the effective date of this Agreement shall continue to have deduction of dues for the remainder of this Agreement.
		A. The District shall notify the Association of new hires and indicate their names, addresses, phone numbers, and work sites within 72 hours (three duty days) of the new hire signing a contract.
4.8.2		Any unit member who is not a member of the Association, or who does not apply for membership within thirty (30) days of the effective date of this agreement, or within thirty (30) days from the date of commencement of assigned duties within the bargaining unit, shall become a member of the Association or pay to the Association a fee in an amount equal to membership dues, payable to the Association in one lump-sum cash payment in the same manner as required for the payment of membership dues. In the event that a unit member does not pay such fee directly to the Association, the Association shall so inform the District, and the District shall immediately begin automatic payroll deduction as provided in Education Code section 45061 and in the same manner as set forth in this Article. There shall be no charge to the Association for such mandatory agency feedeductions.

4.8.3		Each bargaining unit member will have the option to convert from service fee payer status to Association membership at any time.

4.8.4		Pursuant to procedures as referenced in 4.8.1 and 4.8.2 above, the District shall deduct one-tenth of such dues or service fees from the regular salary check of the unit member each month for ten (10) months, September through June. Deductions for unit members who become Association members or service fee payers after the start of the traditional school year shall be appropriately prorated.

4.8.5		All sums deducted by the District for Association members or service fee payers shall be remitted to the Association on a monthly basis accompanied by an alphabetical list of unit members for whom such deductions have been made

4.8.6		The Association and the District agree to furnish each other any information needed to fulfill the provisions of this Article.

4.8.7		Upon appropriate written notification from the unit member, the District shall deduct from the salary of any unit member and make appropriate remittance for any plan or program jointly approved by the District and the Association if in compliance with the regulations of the Orange County Department of Education.

4.8.8		Any unit member who is a member of a religious body whose traditional tenets or teaching include objections to joining or financially supporting employee organizations shall not be required to join or financially support the Association. Such unit member shall pay, in lieu of a service fee, sums equal to such service fee to one of the following non-religious, non-labor organization, charitable funds exempt from taxation under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the Internal Revenue Code:
		A. Foundation to Assist California Teachers
		B. Olive Crest
		C. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Scholarship Fund
		D. Cesar Chavez Memorial Scholarship Fund
		E. Kindercaminata
		F. House Ear Clinic, Inc.
		G. Santa Ana Education Foundation
4.8.9		To receive a religious exemption, the unit member must submit a detailed written statement establishing the basis for the religious exemption. The Association Board of Directors shall communicate in writing to the unit member its acceptance or rejection of the exemption. If accepted, the unit member shall make the payment to an appropriate charity as described above. Such payment shall be made on or before October 15 of each school year. Proof of payment shall be made on an annual basis as a condition of continued exemption from the payment of the service fee. If such proof is not delivered to the Association and the District on or before November 15 of each year, the District shall deduct the appropriate yearly service fee funds from the unit member and remit those funds to the Association.

4.8.10		The Association agrees to pay to the District all reasonable legal fees and legal costs incurred in defending against any court action and/or administrative action challenging the legality or constitutionality of the agency fee provisions of this agreement or their implementation. The Association shall have the exclusive right to decide and determine whether any such action or proceeding referred to above shall or shall not be compromised, resisted, defended, tried, or appealed.

4.9	One or more members of the District and the Association shall meet on a regular basis during the year for the purpose of maintenance of this agreement.

4.10	In any new teacher orientation program sponsored by the District, the Association shall have the opportunity to make a membership presentation to the assembled new teachers.

4.11	Upon the request of the unit member and the professional growth advisor, the President of the Association may provide verification of participation in, or completion of, acceptable Association-related activities.

4.12	On any District staff development day, the Association shall have the opportunity, before the general assembly, to make announcements and disseminate information, e.g., have an information table.

.: CBA – Article IV – Association Rights :.