LESPA 2011-2012

2655 Capital Circle NE Suite 7, Tallahassee, Florida 32308 850-942-0671 (fax) 850-942-0673

Jo Ann Kilpatrick, , President Lissa Stevens, Vice-President

Subject: Education Budget Proposal Falls Far Short of a Meaningful Investment in Our Kids

Governor Rick Scott released his budget proposal today, and he’s touting an increase of $1 billion for public education. I want to caution you not to be fooled by the governor’s feel-good rhetoric. His calculations about increased spending per student and the number of new students entering our schools next year don’t come anywhere close to adding up to a billion dollars. Besides, this is only the first step in a long budget process, and what emerges when the Legislature finishes business next year may look very different.

This is a statement I released to the media this afternoon regarding Governor Rick Scott’s budget proposal:

“When he was running for governor, Rick Scott promised not to cut funding for public education. Once elected, however, he presided over a budget that slashed education by nearly 8 percent, took 3 percent out of the paychecks of every public school employee and green-lighted massive unfunded mandates for school districts.

Now the governor has been telling anyone who’ll listen how much he values the state’s ‘investment’ in education. But today’s budget proposal shows those words are empty. If his budget proposal is enacted, spending will still stand nearly $800 per student less than our state’s commitment to education five years ago, the unfunded mandates are still in place, pre-K remains woefully underfunded and the brain drain at our public colleges and universities continues as universities in other states gobble up our professors. Meanwhile, Florida languishes at the bottom of the national rankings for funding for public education.

A real investment in public education would bolster our state’s future. Today’s budget proposal seeks to put a smiley face on the massive budget cuts of the past few years and ignores the reality that our children aren’t getting the education they need. The governor says he wants to create high-paying jobs for Florida by investing in public education, but this budget proposal puts little more than a Band-Aid on the massive cuts of the past few years. The governor’s budget proposal is miles away from a real investment in public education.”

As the 2012 session fast approaches, I promise FEA will be there in the halls of Florida’s capitol fighting for the funding our students deserve.  We will also be there defending your rights and profession.  Once again, we are facing daunting challenges.  I am counting on you to help keep your colleagues, friends and family informed about the developments in Tallahassee.  Our best offense against the political spin is having up-to-date factual information on our issues.  FEA will continue throughout the 2012 session to send you updates and information that impact public schools, your students and your rights.

Andy Ford,

President

Florida Education Association

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LESPA members and bargaining unit,

I want to thank the members of the LESPA’s Negotiating Team for their invaluable assistance. They are; Valerie Witters, Robert MacMartin, Johnny Kelly, Jeremy Shaw, and Lissa Stevens. This committee worked lengthy hours and provided the expertise that was crucial to our success.

I also appreciate the dedication of Paul Burdette our Executive Director for his leadership and for working attentively to represent the membership of our union by leading our negotiating team.

Thanks to all the LESPA members and non-LESPA members who made the effort to read the agreement and vote. No matter how you voted, LESPA is stronger and better because of your involvement.

Results of the LESPA Ratification

Voted and Signed on Initial School Roster for Ratification -------- 340

Voted Challenged Ballots for Ratification --------------------------   128

For Ratification --------------------------------------------------468 Total

Voted and Signed on Initial School Roster against Ratification ----- 25 Total

Invalid Site Packages    ---2 Sites, 10 votes each -----------------  20

Invalid Individual Challenged Ballots ------------------------------ 14

Invalid Ballots --------------------------------------------------- 34 Total

Ballots received after Ratification ---2 Sites, 4 Challenged -------- Late

This collective bargaining agreement has been ratified and will go before the Board in October. With the many changes seen in this agreement, LESPA still has a lot of work to do.

Jo Ann Kilpatrick,

President of LESPA

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Florida Education Association Newsletter

SB736 Lawsuit
September 2011 

Today, the FEA stood up to the Legislature, the governor and everyone who wants to radically alter the education profession.  

We filed a lawsuit in Circuit Court in Tallahassee challenging the constitutionality of SB 736. Joining us in the lawsuit is the Sarasota Classified/Teachers Association.

This lawsuit, which was filed on behalf of teachers throughout the state, contends that provisions of the bill passed earlier this year by the Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Rick Scott are unconstitutional because they deny teachers their right to effective collective bargaining on wages, terms and other conditions of employment.

The lawsuit asserts that the Legislature enacted legislation that was unconstitutional when it passed SB 736, which substantially changed wages, employment contracts, performance evaluations, promotions and workforce reduction provisions that had been previously negotiated between teachers and local school districts.  

These changes swept away the right of employees to negotiate their wages and terms and conditions of employment, a right that is guaranteed and protected by the Florida Constitution. The changes that lawmakers pushed through should have been collectively bargained between school districts and teachers.

Your union and the FEA are the only groups in the state that are fighting for the rights of our profession. And whatever the outcome of this lawsuit, it's certain that there will be many more contentious days over the radical and reckless changes that SB 736 has brought about. Your union and the FEA will be there leading the charge to restore sanity, fight for local control of our neighborhood schools and to give the true experts on public education more of a role in our profession.

In order to have all teachers in counties with collective bargaining, the Sarasota Classified/Teachers Association joined us in this suit.

Below you'll find links to a copy of the lawsuit, our news release and some information that will help you talk to colleagues, friends and family about this legal action.

• View Our Press Release
• Further Information on the lawsuit  
• View the lawsuit

Contact Information:

 1-888-807-8007

    850-201-2800
FEAweb

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2011-2014 LESPA Final Contract link is below

2011-2014 LESPA Final Contract.doc

LESPA 2011-2012 CONTRACT SUMMARY

The following changes were made to the LESPA Contract:

-A three year contract,

-Eliminated the classification of Teacher Aide and Instructional Aide changed them to School Aide classification and changed the pay grade to 31 up from 32.

- WE ARE HOLDING THE QUESTION OF PAY RAISES AND WILL EXAMINE THEM AFTER THE OCTOBER FTE COUNT AND/OR AFTER THE 2012 LEGISLATIVE SESSION.

-All Instructional Aides will now be classified as Instructional Paraprofessionals for those who passed the test over the last two years should receive a 5% pay increase (see Appendix E)

-Appendix F and G were added which are a medical supplement and admission to High School Athletic events.

2.03

F. The Board and LESPA recommend the participation of the Superintendent in joint meetings and discussions. The Board and LESPA recommend the participation of the Superintendent in joint meetings and discussions.

13.06. Providing the necessary classification qualifications have been met, employees in aide positions assigned to pre-K and ESE programs shall be classified as Instructional Aides.

D. (16.05) Summer Employment.

2. If an employee from within the school/department that has a summer school vacancy wishes to be considered for the vacancy, the employee shall notify the principal/administrator. First consideration in hiring will be given to employees at each school/department based upon their seniority at that site as well as their experience and qualifications to carry out the responsibilities of the position.

16.14 Pay Increases for 2009-2011. Pay increases for the 2009-2011 fiscal year are as described in the Memorandum of Understanding appended to this Contract as Appendix B.

17.03 This Contract shall be effective on the date of its ratification by both parties and shall remain in full force through June 30, 20112014. New provisions shall be effective on the date of ratification unless a provision provides otherwise by its terms. Renegotiations Reopener for the 2010-2011 2011-2012 and 2013-2014 years shall begin no later than April 15th, 2010 of each year, and shall include: Article XVI Compensation (including Appendix B), Article XV Insurance and Payroll Deductions, and three other articles to be selected by each party. Negotiations for a successor Contract shall begin no later than April 15, 2011 2014.

All of these changes can be found on the LESPA website at www.leon.k12.fl.us/public/lespa

The LESPA Bargaining Team is recommending a vote for ratification of the 2011-2014 Contract.

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Welcome Members,

Welcome to the 2011 Leon Educational Staff Professional Association (LESPA) Summer Leadership Training and the beginning of another super fantastic year! I know it has been a short summer and you are looking forward to getting back to work. I have designed a training to help you grow in the union as well as in the schools. This training is an introduction on the whys and hows of organizing – how to strengthen the Association by signing up Educational Staff Professionals as members. I am very excited some of you have chosen to attend this training this year! I am looking forward to a year full of learning, growth, and development. It’s going to be a challenging year for all of us, so I appreciate all your help.

Here is a friendly reminder to help you get through the year: We are Education Staff Professionals, working together to maintain the right to a free, quality public education system for all students to learn and succeed. We are looking to advance professional growth, development and the status of all the employees who serve the students in Florida’s public schools.

Please mark your calendar for these important dates:

· LESPA Rep Training - September 8, 2011, 12:00pm to 4:00pm

· LESPA General Membership Meeting - October 20, 2011, 5:00pm to 6:30pm

· LESPA Rep Training - November 17, 2011, 12:00pm to 4:00pm

· LESPA General Membership Meeting – February 16, 2012, 5:00pm to 6:30pm

· LESPA General Membership Meeting – April 19, 2012, 5:00pm to 6:30pm

· LESPA Rep Meeting – Every 3^rd Thursday, 5:00pm to 6:30pm at Gretchen Everhart

Let’s make this a great year! Together we stand and divided we fall!

See you on Monday!

Sincerely,

Jo Ann Kilpatrick, President

Membership recruitment plan 2011

Florida Education Association Newsletter

Keeping You Informed
June 2011

FEA Legislative Challenge

I know that most of you have been interested in how FEA will react to some of the repugnant legislation that came out of the Legislature this spring. You know we have been looking over all of the bad legislation and figuring out which measures to challenge in court. Today, we have filed our first challenge.

During the session, the leadership of the Republican Party produced a budget and other actions that make the state of Florida a colder and harsher state. Instead of reacting to the highest unemployment rate in the nation and working to fix an economy that is stumbling in its attempts to recover from the economic downturn, Governor Rick Scott, Senate President Mike Haridopolos and House Speaker Dean Cannon made things much worse. The sour economy was caused not by the people, not by the employees, and certainly not by our children. Our near economic collapse was caused by the greed and poor judgment of the CEOs of the nation and the timid action of our political leaders.  Instead of trying to help the people, the employees, and especially the children, Governor Rick Scott and the leaders in the Legislature helped the CEOs, the corporations and the special interests.

Today, we announce the first in what is likely to be a series of judicial challenges to some of the reckless legislation that was dreamed up by the legislative leaders and heartily endorsed by the governor. We are challenging the 3 percent pay cut on teachers, school employees and other workers imposed by the Florida Legislature and signed by Governor Rick Scott.

Our lawsuit asserts that the Legislature enacted legislation that was unconstitutional when that body required that 3 percent of the salaries of active members of the Florida Retirement System be taken from such employees to serve as "contributions" toward their retirement benefits. The lawsuit further contends that the actions by the Legislature to reduce the cost-of-living benefits of those employees were also unconstitutional. 
This pay cut was used by legislative leadership to make up a budget shortfall on the backs of teachers, law-enforcement officers, firefighters and other state workers. It is essentially an income tax levied only on workers belonging to the Florida Retirement System. It's unfair - and it breaks promises made to these employees when they chose to work to improve our state.

While the state of Florida may make the policy decision to ask future employees to contribute to their retirement, it may not unilaterally change the covenant it made with current employees.

Just because CEOs of big corporations have broken promises to their employees - and enriched themselves beyond imagination in the process - does not mean that our state government should do the same. We believe that a promise is a promise and the state of Florida should abide by the promises it makes.

This income tax on our teachers, law-enforcement officers, firefighters and others who provide vital public services that help everyone in the state, comes after years with little or no raises. They are faithfully performing their duties and helping all Floridians despite the fact that they are struggling to make ends meet. Like far too many of us, they feel the American dream slipping away. And it makes me angry that it is our elected officials who are working against us, not helping the people of our state hang on to the American dream.

We do not undertake this effort lightly and we know we're making ourselves a target. This past legislative session, FEA and public education were fully in the crosshairs of legislative leaders with SB 736, which will upend the teaching profession, massive budget cuts to our schools and a spate of bills designed to put our union, and other public-sector unions, out of business. But the importance of doing the right thing and protecting the constitutional rights of our members trumps the fears of legislative payback.

On our website, www.feaweb.org, you will find plenty of material prepared for you to use in talking with your colleagues and your friends and neighbors in your community.

I expect I'll be sending you similar messages about further legal action later this summer. We will not accept unconstitutional and unsavory attempts to inflict pain on our members, our students and our communities.


Andy

Contact Information phone: 850-201-2800

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From the Heart

As I begin my first year as the President of the Leon Educational Staff Professional Association (LESPA) I realize the economy is rough and we all are affected by it. Some of you have said the union, LESPA, has not done anything for you. We are small in numbers but have put together a strong contract over the past thirty years in which members and non-members have benefited. Yes, we fought to get you a decent salary, benefits, good working conditions, etc. but there is a lot more to be done.

This is not about what your union can do for you, but it is about what you can do for your union; this is about strengthening and saving your contract. Have you heard there is power in numbers? The larger the numbers the more power we have. One “YES” makes a big difference:

The Purpose of LESPA is to:

Protect the rights of members

Guarantee due process

Have effective political involvement

Represent the support personnel in collective bargaining

Promote high professional practices

Provide opportunity for leadership among members

Support and strengthen the District, State and National Associations

Improve educational opportunities in the County, State and Nation

Promote cooperation with other groups having the same or similar educational interests

LESPA represents all of us, if you are not a member, I encourage you to join your Leon Educational Staff Professional Association (LESPA) and help us make a difference. We will be contacting you throughout the remainder of the school year and during the summer months. There is still time to join LESPA for free for the next three months and no dues will be deducted until the September paycheck. Please visit our website @ http://www.leon.k12.fl.us/public/lespa/ Have a wonderful summer!

Sincerely,

Jo Ann Kilpatrick

President, Leon Educational Staff Professional Association

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LESPA and FEA who are we?

Your voice on the job

Our association protects the rights of public school employees to negotiate with their employer over wages, hours, benefits and working conditions. Without a strong union, management makes all the decisions alone. Without collective bargaining, Florida teachers and education support professionals (ESPs) would have no legal right at all under the state’s “right to work” labor laws.

Your voice in the legislature

With public education under seemingly constant attack, public school employees need a strong and consistent voice in the legislature. Whether it’s standing up to the wrong-headed merit pay bill or fighting against the largest budget cuts in the state history, the FEA is the for all public school employees.

Your voice for legal assistance

Meetings with administrators can be difficult experiences. That’s why your association stands ready to provide advice and representation - you cannot be accompanied by a lawyer, spouse or friend.

Your source for member benefits

The FEA provides a wide range of benefits to its members, from guidance and assistance for new teachers to professional development and classroom resources. And they provide information regarding grants and funding in addition to discounts and bargain on everyday products and services.

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Leon Educational Staff Professional Association (LESPA)

DUES STRUCTURES

2011-2012

25% $0-$10K 50% $10K-$30K 100% $30K+

NEA $73.10 NEA $116.10 NEA $214.80

FEA $52.04 FEA $104.09 FEA $208.17

SU $76.00 SU $76.00 SU $76.00

Local $30.00 Local $30.00 Local $30.00

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Total $231.14 $326.19 $528.97

Monthly (10) $23.11 $32.62 $52.90

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How to Join LESPA?

If you are a member of the bargaining unit it is easy.

Step One: Find your site representative

LESPA Site Representative

Step Two: Print out the form

LESPA Membership form

Step Three: Print out the page of codes

LESPA form codes

Step Four: Give it to your site representative or fax to BBSU at 942-0673.

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Our Constitution and Bylaws at

2011 Constitution & Bylaws

Our updated contract

2009-2011 LESPA Contract.htm

Other important web pages include;

www.aflcio.org

www.feaweb.org

http://www.libertymutual.com/omapps/ContentServer?pagename=PersonalMarket/pmOffice/pmktStandard&cid=1138338622893

http://www.leon.k12.fl.us/lcta/lcta/main/index.html