gtea-union.org

4/7/21 – 4/27/21

Hi GTEA Members! 
We just want to drop you a quick note and remind you to please vote in GTEA’s Annual Certification Election.  In this election, (the only election where a simple majority does not win) not voting counts as equivalent to a “no” vote in the election—so casting your ballot is extremely important to maintain a certified bargaining unit!  

The recertification requirement is an opportunity to send a message that we are looking out for each other and standing together on important issues that affect our professions, the students we all serve, and the college. This includes safety, salary advancement, workload, stakeholder input, retirement benefits, and a host of other issues.

Additionally, having a certified bargaining unit is required for GTEA to bargain for our annual CPI increase in base wages. As always, administration remains free to give us additional salary increases at their discretion.  

In past years, some folks have had a difficult time voting (the website freezing up or receiving error messages). If you have voted and feel comfortable, please contact any of GTEA Council Members or Reps, and let them know that you were able to successfully cast your ballot.

If you are experiencing any issues, we can notify our President (Jay Johnson) and our Region 7 Director (Ted Kraig). They in turn will contact WERC and try to find out exactly what the problem is to help your vote count.

Thank you in advance for casting your ballot and supporting GTEA!  PLEASE VOTE ASAP (BEFORE the 4/27 close date)!

If you are interested in becoming more involved, or have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me, or any other  GTEA council member.
In Solidarity,

GTEA Council

Please look for the survey in your mailboxes from the GTEA and REGION 7. We urge every member to take the survey. It is anonymous. The GTEA position is clearly spelled out below, and we would like to hear what our membership has to say.

WEAC/NEA webpage link

GTEA MEMBERS and Bargaining Unit members:
Hope you are all doing as well as possible given the circumstances.

If you haven’t already, please sign this petition for GTEA to have a voice on the administration’s GPS committee. As you know, there are still many unanswered questions and changes to come as we transition back to campus. Having GTEA representation on the committee will both help meet the college’s goal for improved collaboration and transparency, and provide additional advocacy for safety and health of students and staff.

We want to ensure and that any concerns or issues are being heard and addressed. Thank you and please reach out with any questions.
Best wishes!

PETITION LINK

Let us know if there are any questions, other suggestions, etc. that you may have.

First, thank you again for your membership in OUR union! We continue to effectively advocate for our shared concerns with administration and I feel as though we are making significant gains in working with administration and building power to achieve what we, as a union, want to see in our workplace. While it is always an uphill battle, we cannot do this without the support of each and every one of you. Thank you.

Think of the major works that we have accomplished even in the past two months: 

• Securing a private meeting with HLC reviewers to present an honest view of College procedures, policy, and morale.
• Advocating for the immediate closure of campus facilities, flexible work options, and the safety of our student, community, and colleagues in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Even though we are in a state of emergency, WERC has ruled that our certification elections must continue as scheduled. There is never a better time for solidarity than right now— let’s show WERC and Gateway that we are stronger than ever by turning out our highest percentage of voters yet! We’ve got This!

Below, you will find the details of how to vote. Remember to vote YES; it literally takes less than a minute if you’re voting online.  Please vote ASAP and reply to this email, letting me know you have voted YES. This helps us successfully focus our efforts on turning out yet another STRONG showing that lets administration know that we have a unified voice! 

VOTE NOW!

Please click here to go directly to the website and cast your vote!  Alternatively, you may vote by phone by calling (866) 458-9862 (toll-free). You may vote 24/7.

* Do not log off or hang-up until after your vote is confirmed.

* Unlike any other election, if you abstain from voting, you will be counted as a “No” vote.

* Your vote remains confidential: Neither Gateway Technical College nor GTEA are told specifically whether you voted to recertify.

* Recertification maintains a legal relationship between GTC and the faculty through our organization, GTEA.

* Recertification guarantees us the right to bargain for a base wage increase up to CPI— which is 1.81% this year. It also protects your base wages from decreasing annually. 

* Recertification maintains employees’ rights to have a collective, protected voice with our employer.

* Voting begins today, 1 April at noon, and ends on 21 April at noon. Please do not delay.

If you have any questions or concerns about this process, please contact Jay Johnson, GTEA President, or your Campus Representatives.

Again, here is the link to cast your vote online: http://aaaelections.org/WERC

Solidarity— now more than ever!

In addition to the GTEA recertification elections, we want to remind you that there are other important elections happening on APRIL 2, 2019.

PLEASE VOTE AT YOUR LOCAL POLLING PLACE!