Collective Bargaining
Make Your Voice Heard!
What is Collective Bargaining?
- It simply means that representatives of both educational workers and administrators sit down and negotiate contracts fairly together
What would collective bargaining look like for schools in Virginia?
- Under Virginia law, your district needs to pass a resolution agreeing to collectively bargain with your local association. If they have not passed such a resolution, you will need to do the following:
Determine who will be in your bargaining unit. Will it be everyone (teachers, office staff, bus drivers, counselors, etc.) or just a specific group?
Then, 50%+1 of that group needs to fill our authorization cards indicating they want to be represented by your VEA local.
Your school board then has 120 days to consider your collective request to bargain.
Keep up the pressure on your school boards. Your voice matters and in states where educators have a voice, we see an increase in funding, higher wages, and an increased focus on getting resources to the classroom and students
How Can I Support Collective Bargaining in my District?
- Talk about it with your fellow educators and staff
- Inform your school board of your interest
- Join the AEA/VEA/NEA; union membership will have a sizable impact when contracts are negotiated
- Show your support through social media; #strongercommunities #abetterbargain #aea #vea #nea
If you have any questions about collective bargaining email albeduassociation@gmail.com