FAQ

The Chelmsford Federation of Teachers is the exclusive collective bargaining agent for the school system’s teachers, other non-administrative, professional employees, paraprofessionals, and substitute teachers. Retirees continue to play an active role in our federation.

• Negotiate and uphold contracts/collective bargaining agreements (including salary, work conditions, terms of leaves, etc.)

• Represent and support members in work-related matters

• Participate in strengthening our educational system (including advocating for funding)

• Collaborate with all stakeholders to ensure and improve the quality of education for all students

• Unite membership to assist and support one another

• Promote democracy, human rights, and freedom

The CFT’s policy board is its Executive Board, served by 6 members elected at large every two years. All policy is set by the Executive Board at its regularly scheduled meetings every Monday at 4:30pm. Due to COVID, meetings are now on Zoom. All are welcome to attend unless in Executive Session.

The Field Representative for the Chelmsford Federation of Teachers works for our state federation, AFT Massachusetts. The Field Representative's role is to offer guidance and advisory to the Chelmsford Federation of Teachers Executive Board and play a lead role in union negotiations and enforcing provisions in the contract.

Serving as a direct link between the union board and the membership are elected CFT Building Representatives from every building. CFT Building Reps are selected each year to service the members at each school site and act as the liaisons between the union board and membership in our schools.

• Emails to my personal email address from "chelmsfordfederationofteachers@gmail.com". Please check to make sure these emails are not being sent to your Junk or Spam folders.

• Monthly Union Unlimited Newsletters sent to personal email address, posted to website, shared on Facebook and Twitter

• Updates on this website, Facebook and Twitter

• Attend General Membership Union Meetings, see Calendar

• Vote in Union Elections

• Consider running for Union positions

• Participate in Union Campaigns

• Participate in Union social events

• Take Action with the AFT!

• Take Action with AFT- Massachusetts!

Click HERE for Membership Application to print and fill out.

Please submit Membership Application Form to CFT Treasurer, Catie Lanouette: treasurercft@gmail.com

Member Dues 2021-2022

Salary Full Half Quarter Eighth

$51,136 or more $51,136 to $16,865 $16,864 to $10,240 $10,239 or less

Per check/21 checks $40.44 $20.70 $10.83 $5.90

Per check/26 checks $32.66 $16.72 $8.75 $4.76

Total per year $849.20 $434.72 $227.48 $123.86

Dues contribute towards, but are not limited to, the following items:

• State & National AFT Dues

• Contract enforcement and negotiations

• Union salaries and stipends

• ADD (Accidental Death & Dismemberment Policy feels)

• Liability Insurance

• Legal Fees (for arbitrations, grievances, etc.)

• Taxes

• Payroll Services

• Office Supplies (ink, paper, stamps, envelopes)

• Technology (laptops for E-Board, printers, etc.)

• Membership services (refreshments at general meetings, venue fees, member unity events like bowling/trivia nights, union swag)

• Gifts/donations (bereavement, scholarships)

See your Contract/Collective Bargaining Agreement

The Collective Bargaining Agreement supersedes the Employee Handbook:

Chelmsford Public Schools Employee Handbook, 2021

Weingarten Rights ensure employees the right to union representation at investigatory interviews:

Weingarten Rights and Fair Representation

Weingarten Rights Q&A

Please see our Membership Benefits Information HERE.

AFT PLUS

AFT PLUS is the name of the member benefit programs available to AFT members and their families. Many of the programs are provided through Union Privilege, the benefit arm of the AFL-CIO; others are unique to AFT and are coordinated directly through AFT PLUS.

Click HERE to explore AFT PLUS and learn more about the savings and services available to you as a union member! (Travel, Education, Finance & Legal, Staying Healthy, Discounts & Shopping, Insurance, Mortgage & Home Services, and more)

UNION PLUS

Union Plus is a non-profit and the ONLY consumer benefits organization created and endorsed by the AFL-CIO. Our mission is to improve the quality of life for union members and their families, provide valuable benefits and services that strengthen the ties of union members to their unions, and contribute funding to the labor movement.

If you're a current or retired union member, you are automatically eligible for your union’s Union Plus Benefits. Often times, your parents, spouse and children are also eligible. No Union Plus membership, no fees, no waiting period, no hassle.

Click HERE to explore Union Plus Benefits! (Financial products (credit/loans), Home/Auto programs, Insurance, Health Plans, Education, Shopping/Discounts, Travel, Hardship Help)

CONTRACTUAL AGREEMENTS:

Consult your Contract/Collective Bargaining Agreement to read about taking a leave of absence (See the Table of Contents to find the sections that pertain to leaves). Consult your Union Building Rep or Human Resources office for more support.

*Reminder: Use of unpaid time off during the academic year will affect your seniority date.

Your seniority date will be adjusted according to language set forth in your collective bargaining agreement. (Article 1-06, c., for Teachers/Nurses; Article 15-01 for Professional Support Staff).

Your date of initial appointment (seniority date) is adjusted by the number of unpaid leave days you incur.

Please see these Mass.gov resources:

FMLA and PFML Information

How PFML is different than FMLA

Consult your Contract/Collective Bargaining Agreement to read about taking a leave of absence (See the Table of Contents to find the sections that pertain to leaves). Consult your Union Building Rep or Human Resources office for more support.

Section 19.06 Parental Leave states:

Every bargaining unit employee who has completed an initial probationary period of ninety (90) days will be entitled to an eight (8) week leave of absence for the purpose of parental leave, provided he/she gives at least two (2) weeks’ notice of his/her anticipated date of departure and of his/her intention to return. Employees are urged to give earlier notification in order to provide the Employer with additional time to secure a replacement. Upon return from an eight (8) week leave of absence the employee will be restored to his/her previous position. An employee eligible for parental leave under M.G.L. C. 149, § 105D may use accumulated sick leave for up to four (4) weeks of the parental leave. An employee may use up to an additional four (4) weeks of accumulated sick leave for a parental leave during said eight (8) week period under the conditions set forth in paragraph 16-04. The Superintendent or designee(s) will not unreasonably deny approval of the employee’s use of up to an additional four (4) weeks of accumulated sick leave based upon a doctor’s certificate. The Superintendent may grant unpaid leave beyond the eight (8) weeks at his/her discretion and such decision is not arbitrable.

Members who are on FMLA leave after 8 weeks of parental leave are entitled to the continuation of the town's group health insurance, and responsible for paying the employee's portion of the premium while on FMLA leave.

You must be a contributor to the Sick Bank in order to be eligible to utilize the Sick Bank.

Consult your Contract/Collective Bargaining Agreement's section on Sick Leave for more information (See "Sick Leave" under Table of Contents).

Consult a Union Building Rep or your Human Resources Office for more help or support.

First, consider exploring your Contract/Collective Bargaining Agreement and Weingarten Rights (which ensure employees the right to union representation at investigatory interviews) Documents. Look at information provided in the FAQ above regarding professional rights and responsibilities.

Then, consult with your Building Representative who represents the union in your school and often has experience and information that will support you.

After consulting with your Building Rep, the Rep or member can contact the E-Board if more information or support is needed.

We encourage open and honest communication among employees and employers. It is always best to resolve school issues amicably with administration. Every grievance is time consuming and can incur costs to the town, the school system and even at times to the employees. However, the Union is here to help you with issues that cannot be resolved through honest communication with administration and staff. There is a procedure to grieve what is an unjust issue.

GRIEVANCE FORM

GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE FOR ALL UNION MEMBERS CAN BE FOUND IN THE CONTRACTS/COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS

GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE

3-01. A "grievance" is a complaint by an employee or a group of employees or the Union (CFT) which alleges a violation, misinterpretation, misunderstanding or misapplication of the terms of this Agreement by the School Committee or its agents.

3-02. Procedure

a. Level One - Informal

1. An employee with a grievance will discuss it first with his/her Principal or immediate supervisor with the objective of settling the matter informally, within five (5) school days. Any matter which cannot be settled informally shall then be filed with the immediate supervisor or Principal on a form which is Exhibit A of this Contract, signed by the individual employee, group of employees or Union affected.

2. Within five (5) school days after receipt of the grievance form, the Principal or immediate supervisor will meet with the employee to further discuss the grievance. The employee may have a representative from the Union or the American Federation of Teachers Massachusetts present if so 9 desired. The Principal or immediate supervisor may request that a member of the administrative staff be in attendance.

b. Level Two - Formal

1. If the aggrieved person is not satisfied with the disposition of the grievance at Level One, or if no decision has been received by the grievant within ten (10) school days after presentation of the grievance form to the Principal or his immediate supervisor, the grievant or the Union Grievance Committee may file the grievance form with the Superintendent of Schools within ten (10) school days following the receipt of the adverse decision or the elapse of ten (10) school days from the date the grievance form was presented to the Principal and/or immediate supervisor whichever is later. The Superintendent and/or his/her designee will meet with the grievant and/or the chairman of the Grievance Committee in an attempt to resolve the grievance within five (5) school days of the receipt of the grievance form by the Superintendent. If the grievance is not resolved by the meeting, the Superintendent shall give his/her written answer to the grievant (copy to the Union Grievance Committee) within ten (10) school days following the end of the meeting.

2. If the grievant is not satisfied with the resolution of the grievance by the Superintendent and/or his/her designee, or if no decision has been received by the grievant and/or the chairman of the Grievance Committee, the grievant and Union Grievance Committee may file a grievance form with the School Committee by serving it upon the Superintendent as its agent within ten (10) school days following the adverse decision by the Superintendent to the grievant or the presentation of the grievance at Level Two, to the Superintendent, whichever is later. 3. All Level Two grievances must be filed separately on a form which is Exhibit A of this Contract signed by the individual employee or group of 10 employees affected, or if a group grievance, by at least two (2) members of the class affected.

c. Level Three

1. Within ten (10) school days after the receipt of the grievance form, the School Committee (or a part thereof) will discuss the grievance with the Union Grievance Committee (or a part thereof) and the grievant in an attempt to resolve the grievance. If the grievance is not resolved by the meeting, the Committee shall give its written answer to the grievant copy to the (Union Grievance Committee) within ten (10) school days following the end of the meeting.

d. Level Four

1. If the grievant is not satisfied with the disposition of the grievance at Level Three and the Union Grievance Committee determines that the grievance should be submitted to arbitration, then within twenty (20) school days following the notice of adverse decision to the grievant and/or within twenty (20) school days following the meeting with the School Committee, whichever is later, arbitration shall be commenced by receipt of a written demand for arbitration by the American Arbitration Association in Boston, MA and by the School Committee.

2. The parties shall be bound by the rules of the American Arbitration Association for Labor Arbitration in the selection of an arbitrator.

3. The arbitrator so selected will hold hearings promptly and will issue his/her decision not later than thirty (30) calendar days from the date of the close of the hearings or, if oral hearings have been waived, then from the date the final statements and proofs are submitted to him/her. The arbitrator's decision will be in writing and will set forth his/her findings of fact, reasoning and conclusions in the issues submitted. The arbitrator will be without power or authority to add to or subtract from the terms of the Contract. The arbitrator will be without power or authority to make 11 any decision or award violative of the case law or statutory laws of the Commonwealth, or which requires the commission of an act prohibited by law, or which violates any of the terms of this Agreement, or which matter has been excluded from the grievance and arbitration procedures of this Agreement. The decision of the arbitrator will be submitted to the Committee and to the Union and will be final and binding, subject to review pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 150C of the General Laws.

4. The costs for services of the arbitrator, including per diem expenses, if any, and actual and necessary travel and subsistence expenses will be borne equally by the Committee and the Union.

3-03. Miscellaneous

a. If an employee has not filed a grievance under this Agreement on the grievance form with his/her Principal and/or his/her immediate supervisor, or if a group grievance or a grievance form has not been filed with the Superintendent within thirty (30) calendar days after the employee or the group of employees knew or should have known of the act or conditions upon which the grievance is based, or if an institutional grievance has not been filed within thirty (30) calendar days after the officers, agents or employees of the Union knew or should have known of the act or conditions upon which the grievance is based, or if the grievance is not filed with the Superintendent, the School Committee or the American Arbitration Association within the time limits set forth herein, except as is mutually agreed to in writing, then the grievance will be considered waived. A dispute as to whether or not the grievance is waived will be a subject of the arbitration pursuant to Level Four.

b. Grievances filed during the summer months of July and August may be extended by mutual agreement to September at which time the time limits specified herein will then apply to any such grievances. This would not include grievances filed in June whose final resolution may extend into July and/or August. 12

c. All documents, communications, and records dealing with the processing of a grievance will be filed separately from the personnel file of the participants.

d. Whenever a condition adversely affects employees in more than one building, a group grievance policy shall be in effect and the grievance procedure will commence at Level Two.

e. No lawyers shall be present at Level One and Level Two.

Understanding Worker's Compensation and the process for reporting an injury: Click HERE

Click HERE for the Chelmsford Public Schools Human Resources page that offers information about Retirement to all employees.

Your employment role will determine which Retirement organization you contribute to:

Middlesex County Retirement System

Massachusetts Teachers' Retirement System

MASS SMART Plan/Great Western Retirement