Week of October 17, 2022
Message from the President
Last week, I talked about the listening sessions held for staff. There has been a request for another one, and I am currently working on that. More to come. Part of this effort is to also gather data. I know, I'm going to ask you to do another survey. Other locals are doing similar things around the country. We'll be able to see our local data, to be shared with you and Central Office, and it will also be compiled with the other locals participating in this process. To take this survey, please click here.
7th Annual Toys for Tots Drive
7th Annual Toys for Tots Drive
This year marks the 7th Annual Toys for Tots Drive sponsored by the Nashua Teachers' Union. The blue bins will return for drop off at your school/office. We will continue to have a drop off for new, unwrapped toys at the Union Office. We will continue to accept monetary donations. We will take all donations and purchase toys to donate to our drive or donate it directly to the local campaign here in Hillsborough County. Blue bins will appear in your schools the week of November 1st and we collect items through Thursday, December 1st.
We will also accept donations by check or Venmo. Make checks payable to the Nashua Teachers' Union and send to:
Nashua Teachers' Union
Toys for Tots Drive
7C Taggart Drive
Nashua, NH 03060
New this year! Ship a toy to the Office!
People interested in donating can also purchase an item online and ship it directly to the Union Office. If you are interested, please ship the item to the following address:
Nashua Teachers' Union
Toys for Tots Drive
7C Taggart Drive
Nashua, NH 03060
Weingarten Rights
The right of employees to have union representation at investigatory interviews was announced by the U.S. Supreme Court in a 1975 case (NLRB vs. Weingarten, Inc. 420 U.S. 251, 88 LRRM 2689). These rights have become known as the Weingarten rights.
Employees have Weingarten rights only during investigatory interviews. An investigatory interview occurs when a supervisor questions an employee to obtain information which could be used as a basis for discipline or asks an employee to defend his or her conduct.
If an employee has a reasonable belief that discipline or other adverse consequences may result from what he or she says, the employee has the right to request union representation. Management is not required to inform the employee of his/her Weingarten rights; it is the employees responsibility to know and request.
When the employee makes the request for a union representative to be present management has three options:
It can stop questioning until the representative arrives.
It can call off the interview or,
It can tell the employee that it will call off the interview unless the employee voluntarily gives up his/her rights to a union representative (an option the employee should always refuse.)
Employers will often assert that the only role of a union representative in an investigatory interview is to observe the discussion. The Supreme Court, however, clearly acknowledges a representative's right to assist and counsel workers during the interview.
The Supreme Court has also ruled that during an investigatory interview management must inform the union representative of the subject of the interrogation. The representative must also be allowed to speak privately with the employee before the interview. During the questioning, the representative can interrupt to clarify a question or to object to confusing or intimidating tactics.
While the interview is in progress, the representative can not tell the employee what to say but he may advise them on how to answer a question. At the end of the interview the union representative can add information to support the employee's case.
Source: http://wa.aft.org/resources/weingarten-rights
Donate to COPE
Interested in making contributions to COPE? Fill out this form and return it to the NTU Office.
NTU COPE
NTU COPE will be following AFT-NH’s guidance for recommended candidates. The 2022 COPE Recommended Candidates list can be found on the NTU website under the COPE tab or by clicking here. Be on the lookout for a postcard from AFT-NH!
If interested in helping out with the state election, please contact NTU COPE at: ntucope@nashuatu.org
To make a donation to COPE, please fill out the donation form and return it via mail or email. The form can be found on the NTU website or by clicking here.
Walk for Workers
We need volunteers to spend a few hours knocking on doors of union households and talking about voting in the upcoming election for candidates who will protect collective bargaining and public education.
Oct 22nd meet at 820 Candia Road, Manchester at 10AM
Nov 5th meet at 161 Londonderry Turnpike, Hooksett at 1PM
A few hours of your time on either day can help make the difference between
losing collective bargaining, seeing public schools dismantled by more and expanded voucher programs and already underfunded public universities further slashed on the one hand OR
having a state where there are enough sensible legislators who believe that that workers deserve to have a say in the workplace through their unions, that public tax dollars should fund public schools, that teachers should be allowed to teach honest history, that all students should feel welcomed and included in the classroom and that NH should fund public universities so NH students can attend without going into crippling debt.
AFT-NH is participating in both events. All locals are invited to send interested volunteers. Questions? Contact Deb Howes at president@aft-nh.org
Have an idea for the Just for Fun section? Send it to Adam (president@nashuatu.org).
Halloween
I enjoy Halloween at my house, maybe because I have young children. And I like to decorate!
Upcoming Events
- October 18th
- Executive Board/Superintendent Meeting, 4:00pm, Central Office
- Internal Secretary Negotiations, 5:30pm, Union Office
- October 24th
- BOE Curriculum and Evaluation Committee, 6:00pm, Nashua High School North
- October 25th
- NTU Blue Day
- Paraeducator Negotiations, 10:00am, Central Office
- BOE Policy Committee, 6:00pm, Nashua High School North
- October 26th
- NTU President/Superintendent Meeting, 3:00pm, Central Office
- October 31st
- Halloween
- November 1st
- NTU Blue Day
- Secretary Negotiations, 10:00am, Central Office
- BOE Human Resources Committee, 5:30pm, Nashua High School North
- Board of Education Meeting, 6:00pm, Nashua High School North
- November 7th - November 11th
- School Psychology Awareness Week
- November 2nd
- NTU President/Superintendent Meeting, 3:00pm, Central Office
- November 8th
- Election Day - get out and VOTE!
- No School for Students
- Professional Development/In-Service Day
- November 9th
- NTU President/Superintendent Meeting, 3:00pm, Central Office
- November 11th
- Veteran's Day
- No School
- November 15th
- Board of Directors, 4:15pm, Nashua High School North
- November 16th
- NTU President/Superintendent Meeting, 3:00pm, Central Office
- AFT Teachers Policy and Program Council, 3:30pm, via Zoom
- AFT-NH Board of Directors Meeting, 4:30pm, via Zoom
- November 22nd
- Executive Board/Superintendent Meeting, 4:00pm, Central Office
- November 23rd - November 25th
- No School
- November 24th
- Happy Thanksgiving!!!
