NEASO

NEASO Board of Director VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT

The NEASO Board is soliciting candidates to fill one vacant seat on the Board:

Position: NEASO Director for NEA Headquarters
Term: February 9 through December 31, 2012
Deadline to Apply: February 3, 2012

If you would like to be considered for this appointment to the NEASO Board of Directors, please send an email to Jean Mondejar (JMondejar@nea.org) stating your interest no later than February 3. Candidates are invited to address the NEASO Board at the February 9 meeting.

This vacancy has resulted from the retirement of a NEASO Director representing NEA Headquarters in the second year of her elected term. In accordance with the NEASO Constitution, the Board will appoint one (1) eligible member to fill the remainder of the vacated term through December 31, 2012. This appointment will be made at the February 9 NEASO Board meeting and will be effective immediately.

Candidates must meet all eligibility requirements for the position of Director for NEA Headquarters, including being a member in good standing of the NEA HQ bargaining unit.

Interesting Quote from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

"In our glorious fight for civil rights, we must guard against being fooled by false slogans, such as 'right to work.' It is a law to rob us of our civil rights and job rights. It is supported by Southern segregationists who are trying to keep us from achieving our civil rights and our right of equal job opportunity. Its purpose is to destroy labor unions and the freedom of collective bargaining by which unions have improved wages and working conditions of everyone?Wherever these laws have been passed, wages are lower, job opportunities are fewer and there are no civil rights. We do not intend to let them do this to us. We demand this fraud be stopped. Our weapon is our vote."

--Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 1961--

WE NEED YOUR HELP!

NEASO is getting ready to bargain! Have you volunteered for one of the committees to support the Bargaining Team? There's Organizing, Support, Research, Contract Prep, Communications and Education. Contact Moira Saucedo (msaucedo@nea.org) to join or if you have questions. We need everyone's help!

OHIO CAMPAIGN

The Ohio campaign represents some of the most important affiliate defense work NEA has undertaken to date. SB5/Issue 2 would abolish collective bargaining in Ohio. If this bill passes, the ramifications would be far reaching and long lasting. Membership losses in Ohio would have a direct impact on the NEA budget, and thus would impact NEASO. If you are able, NEASO President Branita Griffin Henson is encouraging you to volunteer for this deployment.

Here are the details of the agreement:

The deployment dates are October 28 - November 3, and from November 3 - November 9. You can work either week or both weeks, but would not be able to return home between the weeks.

You may bring your spouse, significant other, friend or family member as long as they are age 18 or over. The friend or family member must share your room and transportation. They must be able to do the same work that you are doing. They will not be compensated but they will be provided or reimbursed for meals (the same as you).
NEA will provide you with breakfast and lunch. Dinner is on your own and will be reimbursed up to $30/dinner. If you have dietary restrictions that prevent you from eating the breakfast and/or lunch provided, you may voucher and be reimbursed for your purchased meal up to the contractual amount. If you have dietary restrictions, NEA encourages you to let them know up front to help them with the planning.
Everyone will travel to Ohio via rental car. No staffers will be asked to drive their personal cars. If you have a GPS devise or have one on your phone, you are encouraged to use it. If not, NEA will provide you with a rented GPS device. NEA may ask other staff to donate their GPS devices for this use. NEA will compensate staff if their devices are lost, stolen, or damaged.
Only NEA member can drive the rental cars. Several staffers will be assigned to each car. Any staffer with a valid drivers license will be permitted to drive the car. Friends or family members accompanied you on this trip will not be permitted to drive the NEA rental cars.
For nonexempt members, overtime will be paid for hours worked over 40 hours in the week. For exempt members, contractual terms regarding compensatory time applies.

If you have other questions or concerns, please contact NEASO Executive Director/General Counsel Dan DiJames at ext. 7876 or email him at ddijames@nea.org or NEASO President Branita Griffin Henson at ext. 7208 or email her at bhenson@nea.org.

Download:

Signed Agreement re Ohio Campaign.pdf,

Addendum to Ohio Campaign Agreement 10-19-2011.pdf

NOTICE OF ELECTION

To:       NEASO Members
From:    NEASO Elections Committee
Date:    October 3, 2011

OFFICIAL NOTICE OF ELECTION

The annual election of Officers and Directors will be held Wednesday, November 16, 2011. The following positions are open for election:

Vice President (HQ) – 2-year term

Vice President (MB) – 2-year term

Secretary – 2-year term

Director (MB) – 2-year term

Director (HQ) – 2-year term

The Secretary will be elected by a vote of all NEASO members. One (1) Vice President and one (1) Director representing the NEA Member Benefits bargaining unit will be elected by MB members. One (1) Vice President and four (4) Directors representing the NEA Headquarters bargaining unit will be elected by NEA Headquarters members. All positions have a term of two (2) years.

NSO RA Delegates

The NEASO Constitution and Bylaws state that the President, Vice Presidents, Treasurer and Secretary will serve as delegates to the National Staff Organization (NSO) Representative Assembly for the duration of their terms. Therefore, when voting for these positions, members will also be voting to elect three (3) delegates to the 2012 and 2013 NSO Representative Assemblies.

Election Date and Locations

The election will take place by secret ballot vote on Wednesday, November 16 at NEA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. and NEA Member Benefits in Gaithersburg, MD.

Absentee Ballots

Members unable to attend the stated polling locations on November 16 may obtain an absentee ballot by contacting the NEASO office. Absentee ballots will be available starting Monday, October 24. Members who receive absentee ballots may not vote at the live election on November 16. Completed absentee ballots are due by close of business on Tuesday, November 15.

Nomination Procedures

Candidates for NEASO office must be nominated by an active member, and either a nomination form or an electronic mail indicating a nomination must be returned to the NEASO Office/sent to NEASO Office Manager Jean Mondejar via electronic mail by close of business on Friday, October 14.

The nominator and nominee are solely responsible for the completion and accuracy of the nomination form/the electronic mail nomination.

To be eligible for candidacy, a nominee must be a NEASO member in good standing from the appropriate bargaining unit. In addition, Officers and Directors may serve up to two consecutive full terms, or a combination of consecutive full and partial terms not to exceed five (5) years, before a two (2)-year break in service is required to be nominated to serve again the same capacity.

Nominees for union office may not have been convicted or have served any part of a prison term resulting from a conviction of robbery, bribery, extortion, embezzlement, grand larceny, burglary, arson, violation of narcotics laws, murder, rape, assault with intent to kill, assault which inflicts grievous bodily injury, or a violation of the LMRDA Title II or III, including any felony involving abuse or misuse of such person’s position of employment in a labor organization or employees’ benefit plan to seek or obtain an illegal gain, or conspiracy to commit any such crimes or attempt to commit any such crimes during the previous thirteen years, according to the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959, Title V, section 504.

Nominations By Electronic Mail

This year, for the first time, NEASO members may nominate candidates for office by electronic mail. To nominate a candidate by electronic mail, simply send NEASO Office Manager Jean Mondejar (jmondejar@nea.org) an electronic mail from your NEA account stating in the Subject line “Nomination for NEASO Office.” In the body of the electronic mail, be sure to include the name of the person you are nominating, the NEASO office to which you are nominating him/her (i.e. Secretary, Vice President (HQ), Vice President (MB), Director (HQ), or Director (MB)), and the following statement:

I hereby affirm that I am an active NEASO member in good standing and that the nominee meets all eligibility requirements for candidacy as set forth by the Elections Committee

To accept a nomination by electronic mail, send NEASO Office Manager an electronic mail from your NEA account stating in the Subject line “Acceptance of Nomination for NEASO Office.” In the body of the electronic mail, please indicate the NEASO office for which you are accepting a nomination (Again, Secretary, Vice President (HQ), Vice President (MB), Director (HQ), or Director (MB)) and include the following statement:

I hereby affirm that I am an active NEASO member in good standing and that I meet all eligibility requirements for candidacy as set forth by the Elections Committee

Important:

1. Nominations/Acceptances of Nominations from one’s personal electronic mail account will not be accepted. Electronic mail nominations/acceptances of nominations must be sent from one’s NEA electronic mail account.

2. The Friday, October 14 deadline for nominations applies to electronic mail nominations as well. Both the nomination and the nominee’s acceptance must be received by 5:00 pm on Friday, October 14.

Individuals who have been nominated via electronic mail must accept the nomination via electronic mail (that is, if they choose to accept the nomination).