Foster School District
A. The Foster School Department will make available uniform deductions of Foster Teachers' Association, NEARI, and National Education Association dues upon the request of the individual teachers.
Requests for continuous dues deductions shall be made on a form provided by the Association which is legal in the State of Rhode Island. Deductions shall be made in equal installments. Teachers who choose to make one cash payment for dues in lieu of payroll deductions shall inform the President of the Association by September 10. Said cash payment shall be made no later than September 30 Otherwise, the teacher will automatically be placed on payroll deduction.
Certification of those members of the bargaining unit (including agency shop fees) for whom payroll deductions will be made shall be the responsibility of the Association., The Association President shall notify the Superintendent on or before September 15.
Any member of the bargaining unit who elects not to join the Association must notify the Association President by September 5 of each year . The Committee shall cause to be deducted from the teacher's salary in equal monthly sums an agency fee for a proportionate share of the costs of securing the benefits conferred upon all in the bargaining unit and the administration of the Agreement.
The agency fee proportionate share shall be determined by the Association. Those individuals electing to pay the agency shop fee and not join the Association may, instead of having payroll deductions, pay the entire agency fee to the Association President on or before September 10 of each year.
B. The Association shall be permitted to use school buildings without cost, at reasonable times, when school is in session, for meetings not to extend beyond 6:00 P.M. Requests for use of building shall be made in writing to the principal of the building with reasonable notice. Requests for meetings beyond 6:00 P.M. shall be made in accordance with existing policy governing use of buildings.
C. The Association will. have the right to place notices, circulars, and other material on faculty bulletin boards and in teachers' mailboxes. The Association and its officers shall have the ultimate responsibility for all materials so distributed.
D. Upon request, the Association will be provided with an advance copy of the agenda for each official public Committee meeting. The Association will also be given a copy of the minutes of each official public School Committee meeting. The Association President, or his or her designee, shall be given the opportunity to speak at Committee meetings.
E. A teacher who is elected to, appointed to, or engaged a full-time position with the Association, the NEARI, the National Education Association, or any other organization with which the Association is affiliated, shall, upon proper application, be granted a leave of absence of up to one (1) year for the purpose of accepting this position. A teacher granted such leave of absence shall have the option to retain, at his or her expense, all insurance and other benefits, and shall continue to accrue seniority for salary increments as though he or she were in regular service Upon return to service, he or she shall be placed on the assignment which he or she left, or a comparable assignment, with all accrued benefits and salary increments he or she would have earned had he or she been on regular service. This leave must normally be requested in writing by April 1 of the school year preceding the requested leave.
F. The Association shall be given the opportunity to make brief announcements at the conclusion of faculty meetings.
G. The President of the Association, or her designee, may directly request an appointment with the Superintendent or, in her or his absence, her or his designee at any time during her or his regular office hours.
H. The Committee shall furnish to the Association President the name(s), address(es), and telephone number(s) (with approval of the teacher) of all newly hired teachers.
I. Upon request, the Association may have the opportunity to address newly hired teachers at the conclusion of the orientation meeting at the beginning of the year.