Resolution on Exclusive Representation for Springfield Teachers

The following resolution was unanimously approved at the SNEA General Meeting on September 18, 2008. The resolution was presented to the Springfield R-12 School Board on Tuesday, September 23.


RESOLUTION ON EXCLUSIVE REPRESENTATION FOR SPRINGFIELD TEACHERS

WHEREAS, Article 1, Section 29 of the Missouri Constitution provides "that employees shall have the right to organize and to bargain collectively through representatives of their own choosing,"

AND WHEREAS, the Missouri Supreme Court ruled on May 29, 2007 in the Independence decision that these rights apply to teachers and all other public employees as well as private employees,

AND WHEREAS, the 34 states that have collective bargaining laws for teachers all provide for exclusive representation,

AND WHEREAS, the laws establishing collective bargaining for employees in the private sector all provide for exclusive representation,

AND WHEREAS, exclusive representation establishes real accountability to all teachers for the representation of all teachers,

AND WHEREAS, exclusive representation provides a single, unified voice for all teachers and prevents an employer from dividing teachers by playing one organization off against another organization,

AND WHEREAS, adherence to the Missouri Constitution is the solemn obligation of all citizens and all governmental bodies,

AND WHEREAS, the Springfield Superintendent and the Springfield MSTA have proposed virtually identical, contrived schemes which would deny Springfield teachers our Constitutional right to a representative of our own choosing,

AND WHEREAS, the Springfield School Board will be considering this question in future meetings,

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, the Springfield NEA hereby REJECTS participation in any contrived scheme that fails to provide for our Constitutional right to determine through a secret ballot election exclusive representation and accountability by a SINGLE teacher organization,

AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED the Springfield NEA will refuse to participate in any contrived scheme that fails to provide for our Constitutional right to determine through a secret ballot election exclusive representation and accountability by a SINGLE teacher organization,

AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED the Springfield NEA will vigorously and relentlessly pursue all available avenues to secure our Constitutional right to collective bargaining through a representative of our own choosing.