Greetings AEA Members,
I am humbled and honored to be elected as your next president. Thank you for your support during the election, and during this time of transition. Although I don’t officially start as president until July 1, I wanted to let you know that the work to come back stronger has already begun.
Our Collective Bargaining Committee, chaired by Juan Andres Otal, has been working hard. We attended a Collective Bargaining Training in Richmond a few weeks ago, and have been meeting, planning, and communicating since then.
As you may know, the school board is preparing to pass a collective bargaining resolution at the May 26th meeting, but this resolution still requires some key changes in order to be the best that it can be for all educators.
AEA needs to demonstrate to the school board with tangible evidence that we are a force to be reckoned with if we want to be able to effectively negotiate for better working conditions.
How do we do that?
First, we need you to sign a union authorization card.
During the week of May 16, representatives from AEA and the Virginia Education Association (VEA) will visit schools throughout the county. AEA/VEA would like the opportunity to speak with employees regarding the collective bargaining process and obtain authorization from employees interested in being represented by AEA/VEA.
Please see the attached document that helps explain Collective Bargaining. Scan the QR code to reserve a time for representatives to come to your school.
We need as many people (shooting for 100%) at each building - not just AEA members- to sign a union authorization card (teachers, teaching assistants, custodians, secretaries... all staff).
These cards are different from a membership form. Signing a card means you are supporting AEA's efforts at securing collective bargaining for the benefit of ALL. AEA has the resources of the state and national organizations to negotiate with APS lawyers and HR staff. THIS IS A HUGE DEAL!!
Second, we need as many people as possible to show up at the school board meeting on May 26th at 7pm.
We plan to have a large presence at this meeting so mark your calendars if you can make it and bring a friend. I have attached a flier that you can display at your work location. We need to show that we are strong, unified, and ready to move forward with not just any resolution, but the right resolution. Remember to wear red!
I do hope you will join us.
In solidarity,
June Prakash
AEA President-Elect
