Claification

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Home : 2008 : March : 31

Claification
By biyubelle

Sasha11,

In Louisiana you have the right to collective bargaining. That means that no political body can tell you that you have to live by a "right to work" policy.

The teachers gained to right to collective
bargaining in Louisiana by blood, sweat, and tears school system by school system. That means that the teachers have to 1. make a decision to unionize by joining a union (like AFT) and 2. have the union represent them in a petition to represent the body of teachers in hammering out a contract with the school system. Through a referendum the majority of the teachers have to agree to

this representation. Then the hard part starts. Sometimes it takes some convincing to change the status quo and the first collective bargaining sessions are usually extremely difficult.

I cannot begin to tell you have important the union leadership is during collective bargaining. You cannot have whosses (sp) representing you, but you also have to have reasonable professionals with credibility.

If you are serious about unions contact a group that has been up and running for a few years like the JFT (Jefferson Federation of Teachers -- Jefferson Parish(County).

NOTE: Since Louisiana is outlaws union shops (you cannot be forced to join a union in order for the union to represent your interest in collective bargaining). Any gains made by the union are made on behalf of ALL teachers in the system not just union members.