President Fedenko sent a letter to Superintendent Jon Fernandez requesting that he remind his administrators to act in good faith by honoring the spirit of the contract.  Although the collective bargaining agreement has expired, changing working conditions during negotiations is an Unfair Labor Practice.  Several members have called the GFT office expressing concerns at their schools.  Fedenko stated, “While many school administrators have been working well with our teachers, there are a select few who have violated some parts of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA): Class sizes exceeding limit (30 students in a classroom), Prep periods used for administrative intentions, Faculty meeting used for training, Demanding teachers to report to work earlier than 15 minutes prior to instructional time” to name a few. View letter here  

The validity of GFT’s authority to represent teachers is the board’s excuse of holding up negotiations.  This in fact is yet another Unfair Labor Practice. Now more than ever is the time when teachers need to speak out in getting a CBA.  Members are highly encouraged to attend the next General Membership Meeting on Wednesday, September 18, 2013 at the GFT Compound in Mangilao at 6pm to discuss these important issues.