To: All 12 Month APEA Staff Members
From: John Napolitani, President
Date: July 15, 2009
Re: Summer Hours Update
Aesop once said “Enemies promises were made to be broken.” No words spoken can describe the on again, off again, on again, and now off again summer hour fiasco that Mark Cowell began over one year ago.
Just to update you, due to an unfortunate accident that our Uniserve Representative, Tom Bohnyak, had late last week, the draft agreement was late being sent to Mark Cowell for review. During his review process, Mark, through BOE attorney, Alan Schnirman, made several additional requests of the Association. Ron Villano, our other representative, in a show of good faith, sent several letters to our attorney and Mark’s boss stating that an agreement had been made and our charges would be dropped when the agreement was signed.
For the record, the majority of the district started these new hours on Monday. As late as yesterday afternoon, Mark advised a few staff members in the Board Office that they were not to be working four (4) days, but rather five (5), due to the fact that no agreement has been signed, even though they already started these hours.
Our original agreement, at the table, was that all language was to stay in tact. Mark and Corey Lowell are demanding that the summer hours end on August 14, two weeks before school starts. This would be a loss of two (2) weeks of a benefit for the secretaries, who have had their summer hours for over three (3) decades. The Association Leadership WILL NOT negotiate on the backs of the secretaries.
In closing, Mark will be unilaterally rescinding these hours once again, (until an agreement is signed) and in turn, the APEA will move forward with the Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) charge, with additional charges to be added. This just proves that the Cowell Lowell Attack Plan (CLAP) continues to spread. For the record, we went back to the table and bargained in good faith to get an agreement and even made concessions. Just because Mark can’t have it ALL his way, he is throwing the whole deal out the door. The employees who work the hardest are shown the least respect by Cowell by not bargaining back in good faith.
Pc: Michael Zajac, Recording Secretary
Sue Hayes-Stasio, PR&R Chair
Ron Villano, Uniserv Representative