Getting Representation

Contacting a Site Representative

Click here for the complete list of site representatives for the 2025-26 school year.

​Do not communicate with your site rep about sensitive or private information using your school email! Use your personal email on a personal electronic device or call/text them from your personal phone. (However, you may use your school email to ask for their contact information. Just be aware that the district has access to all communications via email.)

Should I Get Representation for a Meeting?

If you believe that any meeting with an administrator might result in disciplinary action, you have the right to union representation. Even if the meeting is in progress, you have the right to stop the meeting at any time and wait for representation. If your preferred representative is busy teaching during the meeting, your administration is required to get class coverage for them or wait for a time when they are available. 

You are not entitled to a rep in meetings that are not disciplinary or in which you are not the focus, such as IEP or 504 meetings.

How Do I Get Representation?

Your right to representation means that any union member that you choose may be present in the meeting. It is not up to your administrator to select the person to represent you. If you are comfortable with your Site Representative knowing your situation and believe that they have the knowledge and skill to assert your rights in the meeting, they are the logical person to select. Your Site Rep has had special training which can help you avoid mistakes that could put you at risk should your principal or supervisor decide to take disciplinary action. Another educator in your building can also play this role if you so choose. If it seems to be a potentially serious matter, you can call SEA at 619.427.1370 and ask to speak to a CTA staff member. 

What if I Want the Issue to Remain Private?

Your Site Rep is legally obligated to maintain your privacy, even from other representatives at your site. They are not allowed to share the details of your meeting with others unless you give your permission. If you believe your Site Rep has been sharing information regarding an official meeting with others, please contact your Board Member. 

What Should My Site Rep Be Doing During a Meeting?

If the meeting is administration initiated, your Site Rep should take notes on the meeting so you can focus on talking to the administrator. This way, you will have a record of what was said during the meeting, as well as a witness.

If you or your Site Rep have initiated the meeting, your Site Rep will be doing most of the talking and asking questions of administration. Remember that they are there to represent your interests and uphold the contract. You or your representative have the right to pause the meeting at any time to meet privately and determine how to move forward. 

What if the issue wasn’t resolved in the meeting?

Remember that the role of your Site Rep is to protect your rights and ensure the contract is followed. If the contract is being violated, your Site Rep may file a Grievance. A Grievance is a formal complaint filed against the administrator who is violating the contract. The Grievance will then go through a process with the district to resolve the issue.

If you believe that the contract has been violated, click here for the grievance process and timeline. A grievance must be filed within 30 work days of the incident, so review the steps and contact a Site Representative as soon as possible after the incident.

If you have spoken to a Site Representative and wish to file a grievance, please fill out this Google Form, which will be sent to our Grievance Committee. (Please note the form should take approximately ten minutes to complete.) The “Interviewer” will be the person from SEA with whom you met initially to discuss the issue. Use the contract to find the particular contract article violated.

For site reps who need to file a Level I Grievance, check the Grievance Process page for more information, including the Grievance Level I form and a timeline.