In the viral “catch phrase” of the Honorable Maxine Waters, U.S. Representative (RECLAIM MY TIME!), let us collectively exercise our professional courage muscle and “Reclaim our time to decompress and enjoy our families and friends DAILY!”
Ironically, as we fought for contractual language for a more defined and structured work day, the District retorted the issue was really more AALA’s than the District’s! The District’s negotiators insist defining a more humane work day and reasonable expectations for responding to emails, calls, and texts limits our members supervising other AALA members. In other words, the District has no desire to directly tell Regional Directors, principals, directors, and coordinators to cease communicating with their subordinates at the close of business. Ironically, Regional Directors et al. are forced to communicate with those they supervise because of the whims of the DISTRICT’S CABINET by making non-exigent requests AFTER the close of business. (See IOC page 3)
The real solution here lies at the feet of the CABINET. If the cabinet respects ceasing communication at the close of business (unless an exigent circumstance arises) then PROBLEM SOLVED!
AALA implores our members supervising members to give themselves a break and help in the fight to make the work day reasonable again by going home and enjoying your families too and ceasing non-essential communications at 5:00 p.m. and like the District also said, “We never want to restrict the communication of your members especially of those who write emails in the wee hours of the mornings and nights.” To this AALA says, our members can compose emails at whatever time works best for them. However, we do respectfully request these supervising members to delay sending the message until a reasonable time the next working day.
And as for EDP (revised Policy Bulletin HERE), the fight will continue until fairness and equitability prevails. All ready we are receiving stories of denials for what truly appears to be EDP. Moreover, it appears some regions have created committees to review EDP requests. The question now becomes does every region have committees? The District committed to uniformity across the system over and over again during negotiations. In addition, members are reporting rejections with no rationale. Our members need to know the why behind a rejected EDP request.
The key to prevailing with these two very important issues is the continued fight by AALA’s leadership and every rank and file member.