ASSOCIATION RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
A. Educators shall not be denied the right to organize, join and/or support the Association for the purpose of engaging in collective bargaining or negotiations.
B. The Association shall apply the terms of this Agreement in a manner which is not arbitrary, capricious, or discriminatory with regard to race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, gender, marital status, disability, sexual orientation and gender identityor membership in or in association with, the activities of any educator organizations.
C. Nothing contained herein shall be construed to deny or restrict to any educator rights the educator may have under the Michigan General School Laws or other applicable laws and regulations.
D. The Association, and its representatives, shall have the right to use school buildings at all reasonable hours for meetings (provided that this shall not interfere with or interrupt normal school operations), provided established procedure is followed in requesting such use.
E. Duly authorized representatives of the Association and their respective affiliates shall be permitted to transact official Association business on school property at all reasonable times (provided that this shall not interfere with or interrupt normal school operations), provided established procedure is followed in requesting such use.
F. The Association shall have the right to use school facilities and equipment normally used for instructional purposes at reasonable times, when such equipment is not otherwise in use, provided established procedure is followed in requesting such use. The Association shall pay for reasonable cost of all materials and supplies incidental to such use.
G. The Association shall have the right to post notices of its activities and matters of Association concern on educator bulletin boards, at least one (1) of which shall be provided in each school building. Such educator bulletin boards shall not normally be accessible to students.
H. The Association may use the district mail/e-mail service and educators’ mailboxes for communications to educators, provided there is no additional expense to the school district.
I. No educator shall be prevented from wearing insignia, pins, or other identification of membership in the Association, provided that it does not interfere with the educational process.
J. The Board agrees to furnish to the Association, in response to reasonable requests, all information in the format available concerning the financial resources of the district, including but not limited to: annual financial reports and audits, register of certificated personnel, tentative budgetary requirements and allocations (including county allocation board budgets), agendas and minutes of all Board meetings except executive sessions, treasurer’s reports, census and membership data, names and addresses of all educators, and such reasonably available information as will assist the Association in negotiations and in the processing of any grievance or complaint.
K. The private and personal life of any educator is not within the appropriate concern or attention of the Board, except that such educators shall conduct themselves in their private and personal life in a manner consistent with the Code of Ethics of the Educator Profession and their professional standing in the community. Educators shall be entitled to full rights of citizenship, and no religious or political activities of any educators, or lack thereof, shall be grounds for any discipline or discrimination with respect to the professional employment of such educator.
L. The Board and the Association pledge themselves to make public education available to every student of the Carman?Ainsworth Community Schools which is not arbitrary, capricious, or discriminatory with regard to race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, gender, marital status, sexual orientation and gender identity, and seek to achieve full quality of educational opportunity to all pupils.
M. Employees will not be punished, penalized, or demoted for being a member of the Association’s Negotiations Committee.
N. A total of thirty (30) days without cost to the Association shall be granted for professional use at the discretion of the officers of the Association. Association days shall be granted for NEA and MEA Board Members. The Board will be reimbursed by the appropriate association (MEA or NEA) for sub cost. In requesting association days, the Association President will contact the Superintendent and the Office of Human Resources with the names and dates for the requested association days. The Office of Human Resources will check the availability of substitutes on the requested date(s). If substitutes are available on the requested date(s), the association days will be granted. If substitutes are not available, another date may be selected. The next available date shall be granted. The Association President shall complete the appropriate paperwork. Additional Association days may be purchased at the current substitute rate upon request by the Association President and will be authorized by the Office of Human Resources.