At the DOE Board meeting held on Wednesday, February 27th at Talofofo Elementary School, President Tim Fedenko brought up specific issues for the board to address: approving the school calendar, signing the support staff contract and officially re-opening the negotiation table for the teachers’ contract.  GFT had submitted a recommended school calendar for SY’13-14 in which the board’s committee used to help put the calendar together.  The board had voted and approved the calendar that evening.  

GFT board representative and DOE chair, Frank Perez, submitted to all members of the board approved and signed contracts dating as far back as 1982 and exclusive recognition of cafeteria workers as supporting evidence that the GFT has exclusive recognition over the support staff.  Vice-Chair of the Board, Peter Alecxis Ada, comments “I was lead to believe that there are no documents that exist, finally this shows up. Mr. Chairman, let’s move.”  Perez and Fedenko hopes the documents would suffice, however board member, Barry Mead, claims the documents are not enough.  In an interview on K57, Mead states, “the copies mean nothing”.  GFT will continue to push for progress in both contracts as teachers and support staff are waiting to have a voice in their workplace.  Teachers and support staff have expressed at GFT worksite visits the issues they face without having a contract enforced.  They are eager for the board to work with GFT so that they can have a contract in place that will protect their working conditions and allow them to do their job properly for the children of Guam.