Saturn/UAW awards honor union-district partnerships
Commack TA members accept the AFT-Saturn/UAW award from NYSUT President Tom Hobart, far right. From left: Secretary Carolyn Burton-Gajda; Treasurer William Matejka; Vice President Katherine Hines and President Jim Hall.
On Long Island , members of the Commack Teachers Association and district administrators have been coming together for more than 35 years to discuss issues affecting staff and students through a professional council.
"In a lot of ways it strips away the roles and everybody operates as equals," said Jim Hall, president of the CTA.
UFTer Deric Borrero was honored for a LEGO Robotics program. |
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The eight-member councilhandles a variety of issues: the logistics of going from an eight- to a nine-period school day, parameters for Academic Intervention Service labs and creation of a new teacher orientation and mentoring program. The union vice president and the district's assistant superintendent co-chair the professional council.
Commack was one of two New York districts to be awarded the 2004 American Federation of Teachers Saturn/United Auto Workers Partnership Award. The AFT is NYSUT's national affiliate in Washington, D.C.
"These awards show that students, staff and administration all benefit from strong partnerships," said New York State United Teachers President Tom Hobart.
In New York City, United Federation of Teachers member Deric Borrero and the Rocco Laurie Middle School in Staten Island were honored for the Science and Technology LEGO Robotics Leadership Program. Borrero spearheaded the after-school program to encourage low-income students' interest in science. Borrero worked with the UFT, led by Randi Weingarten, school administration and the PTA to make the program a success.
Since 1997, the AFT-Saturn/UAW Partnership Award has honored labor-management partnerships.
The AFT is looking for innovative programs that showcase the benefits of union-management collaboration. Six winners will be chosen and honored at the July AFT QuEST Conference in Washington , D.C. Also, union and management representatives win a trip to the Saturn plant in Spring Hill, Tenn. Applications for the 2005 AFT-Saturn/UAW Partnership Awards are available on the AFT Web site, www.aft.org/presscenter/saturn-uaw/index.htm. Application deadline is April 1. For information on the partnership awards, visit www.saturnuaw.com.
— Clarisse Butler