Colleagues,
As you begin your well-earned summer recess, I want to briefly update you on just a few timely but important issues:
– Vehicle Damage Reimbursement. Last Friday, the RTA and the District reached an agreement that teachers whose vehicles were damaged while parked at or near work location premises, between September 1, 2022 and June 30, 2023, will be reimbursed for the insurance deductible up to $500 limit. The signed Memorandum of Agreement is attached below. Affected members must submit claims by no later than September 15, 2023. This is just to inform you of the agreement but the required claims form and related instructions will be emailed to you in the next few days. If you have changed your non-District email, please so notify RTA’s Bill Gerber <bgerber@rochesterteachers.com>. In the interim, contact either Martha Keating <maskerade6@aol.com> or Matt Lavonas <mlavonas@rochesterteachers.com> with any related questions or concerns.
– Morning Unencumbered Time. Regardless of what some administrators are telling teachers about the 15 minutes between the arrival of buses and the first bell for the 2023-24 school year, that time remains unencumbered for teachers and the supervision of students remains the responsibility of the administration and perhaps other others who are not RTA bargaining unit members. This has been the practice in the past and nothing new was either negotiated or agreed to by us. We have repeatedly asked the District to clearly so indicate to school chiefs and school principals but they have yet to do so. We will continue to press for such a clarification. Please contact Margaret Sergent <mmsergent@rochesterteachers.com> or Aimee Rinere <arinere@rochesterteachers.com> with any related questions or questions.
– Anti-Union Campaign. If you are contacted by the so-called “Freedom Foundation” suggesting that you drop your union membership, I know that you’ll recognize it for what it is and you’ll stick with your union. Disguised as ‘legal notice” or fake reimbursement checks, these communications are attempts to weaken our solidarity and our advocacy for you. It is nothing new. It hasn’t worked in the past and it won’t work now. Please disregard it as you would any junk mail.
Have a safe and restful summer. As always, contact us if you have any questions or need our assistance.
Adam Urbanski, RTA President