Representing Teachers and School Employees in Northwest Louisiana
Because Red River United is a merged local union there are four documents that govern our operation. These documents preserve the unique nature of representing three different jurisdictions and memberships while also ensuring full representation under the umbrella organization- Red River United.
Please click on the links below to view the current constitutions.
| Ruffy the Riveter thinks she’s the CUTEST dog in the union world. She’s modeled for a series of “glamorous” photos and insisted that we release them over the next few weeks. What do you think? Is your pet CUTER?It’s up to YOU to see if your pet has what it takes to upstage Ruffy in her quest to be the most adorable pet in labor history! Submit your pet’s photo for a chance to win ONE ofFIVE GRAND PRIZES. Voters will decide which five pets can upstage Ruffy:
Two winners will get a FREE Year-long membership to Union Plus Pet Health Insurance. If your pet is ill or has an accident, the last thing you want to think about is money. Union Plus Pet Insurance is the answer—head-to-tail accident and illness pet insurance for your dog or cat.
Three winners will get a $100, $200 or $300 gift card to the Union Plus Online Pet Store. Buy pet food, supplies & medication at highly competitive rates. Plus union members get 10% off all pet supplies and $1 off all prescription medication and flea & tick products.
ENTER NOW!
ENTRY DETAILS: EMAIL: Providing your email address allows us to send you valuable information about the Union Plus discounts and services, future contests, and more. Remember to add enews@unionprivilege.org and info@unionprivilege.org to your e-mail safelist. Sample instructions are available here. We always respect your privacy. Instructions for removal come with every e-mail. MOBILE: Message and data rates may apply depending on your cell plan. You can opt out of our text service at any time by replyingSTOP to any message that you receive. Reply HELP or contact help@unionplus.org for help. We’ll text you approximately 1 times a month. RULES: Participation in this Sweepstakes constitutes entrant’s full and unconditional agreement to the Official Rules. No purchase necessary to enter. Void where prohibited or restricted by law. A purchase will not increase your chances of winning. This contest is sponsored by Union Privilege and is open to (i) current or retired union members, or family members of current or retired union members, of good-standing in a union that participates in the Union Plus programs, (ii) legal residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec), who have attained the age of majority in their state of residence, or are emancipated minors, or possess legal parental guardian consent, and are fully able and competent to enter into the terms, conditions, obligations affirmations, representations, and warranties set forth in the Official Rules. Employees of Union Privilege, Pet Health Inc., & Woobox LLC, their affiliates, subsidiaries, Sponsors, advertising, promotion agencies, and their immediate families and those living in the same household of each are not eligible to participate in this Contest. Approximate retail value of the prizes range from $100 to $400. |
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Recently, the Louisiana Department of Education released individual teacher VAM scores. Since then our offices have been bombarded with calls from teachers questioning the accuracy of their scores and their rights. Red River United has been on record decrying flaws in the evaluation system, manipulation of SLTs, violations of the professional personnel file act, and questioning the validity of some test scores. We stand in solid support of every educator’s choice to seek answers and recourse through the grievance procedure. Remember, until ACT 1 is officially declared unconstitutional wages, tenure, and careers are still weighed against a VAM score. Know your rights! Ask questions! Call today!
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Red River United member, Nicolette Doughty of Keithville Elementary, has been awarded a Robert G. Porter Scholarship by the American Federation of Teachers. http://www.aft.org/benefits/scholarships/eligibility.cfm
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The Union Plus scholarships support our overall mission to help support union member and union leader higher education goals.
Over the past 22 years, union members and their children have received over 3.5 million Union Plus scholarship dollars.
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Have you ever thought about what happens to your observations and evaluations? They are actually housed in your personnel file which is protected by LA Revised Statute 17:1231-38, the Personnel File Act. This act states that nothing can go into your file that you have not seen, signed and had the opportunity to rebut. And once you write a rebuttal, it must be permanently attached to your observation/evaluation.
We believe the HCIS or Human Capital Information System, is actually part of your personnel file. We further believe it violates the Personnel File Act and District Personnel Evaluation Plan for several reasons. First, if you are not given a copy of the document at the time of the post observation conference, it is a violation. And being told to go look at it on the system does not work. If you and your supervisor do not affix your signatures onto the document during the post observation, this is a violation. A rebuttal cannot be attached to the HCIS, another violation. And finally, the Personnel File Act states that you have a right to have a document removed if it is proven the document contains inaccurate information or is a misrepresentation of fact.
To date, we are told documents cannot be removed from HCIS.
The long and the short of it is, we asked State Legislators and the Department of Education to delay implementation until they got it right. This did not happen, so it seems that we will have to show them the error of their ways. We are currently preparing documents for a very real possibility of upcoming legal action. Let us hear from you.
Remember, your personnel file is much like your GPA or your credit score– it follows you throughout your professional career. Until Act 1 of 2012 is ruled completely unconstitutional (currently awaiting a district court re-hearing). Your salary and career are tired to your evaluation. By protecting the content of the file, you are protecting your career. Help us help you.
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They have had their say, now it’s time for yours. This survey is 100% anonymous. Please be sincere in your evaluations and narratives regardless of whether the remarks are positive or negative. Thank you for your participation. Click here to take the survey (10 quick questions).
Simply put, principals can be bullies. It is a sad statement, but it is true nonetheless. At Red River United, we hear stories about professional bullying far too often. Individuals that seek out our assistance are neither troublemakers, nor are they exaggerating their principal’s (or other administrator’s) comments or actions. Initially, most individuals fear retaliation or that their jobs are somehow in jeopardy. We have filed grievances, written resolutions of no confidence, and even gone so far as to consult with our attorneys to combat professional bullying.
From the AFT PSRP Reporter: Singled out. Picked on. Discriminated against. Bullied. All of these are terms for the same thing, says Sharon Baker of the Totem Association of Education Support Personnel in Anchorage, Alaska, and she has no doubt whatsoever that paraprofessionals and school-related personnel (PSRPs) across America have endured harassment and intimidation from other adults on the job. What follows are the stories of PSRPs (their names have been changed or omitted) who have taken a deep breath and confronted their bully or enlisted the union for help in solving their bully problem. It’s not always possible to neutralize a bully right away, but even the worst bullies can be stopped.
Take the case of a library assistant at New York University. A native of Ghana, this AFT member was bullied by a supervisor who called him a monkey, taunted him about eating bananas and told him, “Go back to your cage” and “Go back to the jungle.” With a big assist from the Union of Clerical, Administrative & Technical Staff in New York City, he was able to file a federal lawsuit against the university for failing to protect his civil rights (see Reporter, January/February 2011).
Not every case of bullying becomes a federal case, but most go well beyond rude behavior. Sometimes, working for a bully requires a simple “no” that’s hard to say, as when PSRPs have been instructed to lie for their bosses. In Michigan, an AFT member refused to falsify documents. And in Louisiana, a principal told a paraprofessional she had to lie or look for another job.
As a member of Red River United, you have the strength and backing of thousands of your peers. This translates into people power and Red River United takes power hungry principals very seriously. For more information on how you can get involved in our campaign to stop professional workplace bullying, email Shannon Sullivan.
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The Louisiana Federation of Teachers invited you to participate in a Telephone Townhall on Wednesday, June 12 from 1:00 P.M. until 2:00 P.M.
The one-hour briefing included updates from key LFT leaders on the legislative session that wrapped up June 6. We talked about how public education fared in the legislative session, the status of our challenges to Gov. Jindal’s ill-conceived education “reform” effort, and how we intend to keep fighting for public schools.
The Telephone Townhall took place as Federation activists from around Louisiana gathered in Baton Rouge for the union’s annual Summer Leadership Institute.
We broadcast interactive live coverage of the event through Facebook and UStream. You asked questions of our panelists through e-mail, text, and Twitter.
When Mother Nature strikes, the effects can be devastating to entire cities, towns and communities. That is what we saw with the tornadoes that hit Moore, Okla., on Monday. And as we have done so many times, we must mourn those we have lost while, at the same time, trying to put our communities back together.
Our AFT brothers and sisters have been directly affected by this horrific event, and, as a family, we can help. Donate to the AFT Disaster Relief Fund and help AFT members who have had their lives turned upside-down rebuild after tragedy strikes.
I have been in contact with our leadership in Oklahoma. Thankfully, many of our members in the area are safe, but we have not been able to reach everyone. We know of at least one member who has lost a loved one and some who have lost their homes and possessions.
Donating to the Disaster Relief Fund will give direct support to AFT members affected by the storm. Please donate today.
We have seen too many tragedies across this country. From Superstorm Sandy to Newtown, Conn., our members have supported each other in times of need. We are there for each other; we are a family. Let’s lend a helping hand to those affected by the tornadoes in Oklahoma.
I’m asking you to join with me in contributing to the AFT Disaster Relief Fund—every contribution makes a difference.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Oklahoma.
In unity,
Randi Weingarten
AFT President
