United Voices, Vol. 1 No. 6

Serving the public every step of the way!

UNITED VOICES VOL. 1 NO. 6

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AN UNUSUAL REASON FOR RETIRING

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ANDREA NOONAN OF WEST FARGO NOMINATED FOR PRESTIGIOUS AWARD

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INAUGURAL DELEGATE ASSEMBLY GATHERS MEMBERS FROM ACROSS STATE

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AFRICAN IMMIGRANT WORKS IN WEST FARGO SCHOOL AND ASPIRES TO GIVE BACK WITH GIFT OF EDUCATION

Kelly Hagen Director of Field Communications Image Printing Design/Publisher

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What is North Dakota United?

If you were to ask ND United President Nick Archuleta, he might tell you – as he did during his opening address at the Inaugural NDU Delegate Assembly on Saturday, April 12, at the Seven Seas in Mandan – that NDU is a seven-monthold baby. “If NDU was a baby, we’d be learning to walk,” Archuleta said. “A gifted baby.” North Dakota United is the representative organization of our state’s public workforce. NDU is the union of over 11,000 public school teachers and support staff, university faculty and staff, city, county and state employees, retired public workers and students. Our organization has members in every community in North Dakota.

Abdi. As a paraprofessional for Cheney Middle School in West Fargo and ESP member of North Dakota United, a full-time student in education at Minnesota State University-Moorhead, and an immigrant to the U.S., a refugee originally from a war-torn community in Somalia, Abdi is driven each day to be an inspiration of what any person can accomplish with the right attitude and proper motivation.

United Voices is the official publication of North Dakota United, 301 N 4th Street, Bismarck, ND 58501.

Linda Harsche Director of Communications

Wiping away her tears as board members, teachers, parents, and students speak glowingly about her 32 years of teaching first grade at Mandaree School in Northwestern North Dakota, Donna Slais passionately explained the reason she was retiring. It was not your usual reason like wanting to travel and enjoy life. It was not because she was tired of teaching, because she truly loves her first graders. It was because of the oil industry in western North Dakota. “I’m scared,” she said. “I can’t drive 32 miles back and forth from Watford City anymore.

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Postmaster, send address changes to: North Dakota United 301 N 4th Street Bismarck, ND 58501

North Dakota United recently nominated Andrea Noonan of West Fargo, ND for the NEA Foundation’s Award for Teaching Excellence. Noonan was the 2013 North Dakota Teacher of the Year. Not only did Noonan earn the honor of being named North Dakota Teacher of the Year, she also took time out of her busy schedule to become quite involved in the West Fargo Education Association. Last fall she produced, shot and edited a marketing video for her local to increase its membership (www.wfeainfo.org/). “We had a huge crew of new teachers (over 100) coming into our district. We used the video for recruitment and the results were outstanding,” said Noonan.

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Q&A WITH KEN PURDY CLASSIFICATION AND COMPENSATION MANAGER FOR NORTH DAKOTA’S HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT SERVICES

In recent years, the North Dakota Legislature has struggled extensively with trying to find the right formula for state worker compensation. As oil exploration has exploded in the Bakken, private industries are flooding into the state, and competition for workers is at an all-time high. The unemployment rate for North Dakota currently sits at 2.7 percent, which is the lowest in the country. There are more jobs available in North Dakota than there are workers available to fill these vacancies. Private employers are offering higher salaries in order to attract job seekers and fill vacancies. But the state of North Dakota has been reluctant to raise salaries in tune with this trend.

ND United Voices

President’s Post

PUBLIC EDUCATION IS AN INVESTMENT IN OUR FUTURE Framers of the state Constitution intended that public monies be spent on public education.

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The framers of the North Dakota State Constitution could not have been clearer in their belief in public education for our state. They realized that

By Nick Archuleta NDU President

quality public education was to be the bedrock upon which North Dakota would build its future.”

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high degree of intelligence, patriotism, integrity and morality on the part of every voter in a government by the people being necessary in order to insure the continuance of that government and the prosperity and happiness of the people, the legislative assembly shall make provision for the establishment and maintenance of a system of public schools which shall be open to all children of the state of North Dakota and free from sectarian control. This legislative requirement shall be irrevocable without the consent of the United States, and the people of North Dakota.” (ND Constitution, Article VIII, Section 1) “No money raised for the support of the public schools of the state shall be appropriated to or used for the support of any sectarian school.” (ND Constitution, Article VIII, Section 5) The framers of the North Dakota State Constitution could not have been clearer in their belief in public education for our state. They realized that quality public education was to be the bedrock upon which North Dakota would build its future. They sensed correctly that for North Dakota to prosper, all its citizens should have access to a free and inclusive public education. It is equally clear that the framers of the state Constitution intended that public monies be spent on public education.

It has become commonplace for some in our statehouse to parrot the policy wish list of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).

ALEC’s reach is very deep across the United States, and it attempts to influence public policy in a variety of areas, including education. ALEC is funded entirely by corporate interests that do not care about the children in our schools or public education in North Dakota. ALEC’s only interest is in weakening public education so that it may be privatized.

The surest way to weaken public education is to transfer public monies from public schools and use them to fund private schools.

Do not misunderstand me. Even though I represent public school teachers and public employees, I fully respect the fact that for a variety of reasons that are none of my business, people choose to send their children to a private, nonpublic school. I just believe, as the framers of the ND Constitution believed, that public money should not be spent to support North Dakota’s 49 nonpublic schools, 42 of which have religious affiliation.

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I am against discrimination, and I believe that government – state, local, federal – should not finance any organization that practices discrimination. But that is exactly what many nonpublic schools do.

They frequently discriminate on the basis of religion, special needs and due process for students and teachers. Most nonpublic schools do not have either the financial or professional resources to educate special needs children. The vast majority of these students, then, attend public schools, which welcome them as they do all students.

I also believe in transparency in the operations of ND’s government and political sub divisions. Your local school board is elected by the people; holds meetings attended by stakeholders, and are accountable to the public, whose money finances their schools’ operations. That is not the case in many nonpublic school systems.

The transfer of public money for private education through vouchers does not enhance student achievement. In fact, when test scores are weighted to reflect student socioeconomic status, disability and race, public school students actually outperform private school students nationally.

Parents and stakeholders know and understand the importance of keeping public funds in public schools and have said so repeatedly. So did a solid majority in the House when they defeated HB 1466 last session by a 63-31 vote. When this misguided ALEC legislation comes up again in the next session – and it will – I hope all North Dakotans will stand again to send the message that we believe that public funds should only be used to fund public schools.

In closing, I want to say public education is an investment in us and our future. In North Dakota, educators in our public schools endeavor to educate every child that walks, rolls, or is carried through our schoolhouse doors. Public support of public schools helps us to keep our promise to North Dakota’s future.

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NEA FOUNDATION AWARD FOR TEACHING EXCELLENCE Andrea Noonan of West Fargo is nominated for prestigious award

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orth Dakota United recently nominated Andrea Noonan of West Fargo for the NEA Foundation’s Award for Teaching Excellence. Noonan was the 2013 North Dakota Teacher of the Year.

Not only did Noonan earn the honor of being named North Dakota Teacher of the Year, she also took time out of her busy schedule to become quite involved in the West Fargo Education Association. Last fall she produced, shot and edited a marketing video for her local to increase its membership (www.wfeainfo.org/). “We had a huge crew of new teachers (over 100) coming into our district. We used the video for recruitment, and the results were outstanding,” said Noonan.

Noonan taught previously at Cheney Middle School in West Fargo. Currently, she is a Technology Integration Specialist and Language Arts teacher at Liberty Middle School, also in West Fargo. Her belief is every child can and deserves to learn. “I believe that students’ desires are motivated when they are given choices,” she says. “Students need to be ready for global competition and must be able to contend in an academic and a corporate world that requires 21st Century skills.”

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Students need to be ready for global competition and

must be able to contend in an academic and a corporate world that requires 21st Century skills.”

While at Cheney, Noonan taught Native American literature in cross-curricular lessons with the eighth grade Social Studies North Dakota Unit. “When I pulled out the native jewelry and colorful newspaper clippings of White Earth Powwow my grandfather saved for me,” she said, “the students were enraptured. I don’t know that I’m a great storyteller. I think it’s more likely students crave a personal connection with their teachers. When I tell them about the beaded jewelry and the vibrant feathered costumes, they’re learning pieces of my history in the story; they come to know me as a person, not just as a teacher.”

According to Noonan, one of her greatest accomplishments in the classroom is making these personal connections with students. “We discuss Internet safety and the dangers of putting everything on Facebook,” she said. “Because we have a personal relationship, students trust me when I say it’s dangerous, and they listen when I tell them why.”

Her former colleague, Drue Haarsager, says Noonan’s “can do” attitude is passed on to her students.

“She is a builder,” says Haarsager. “She always builds people up, and she is one of the most positive and optimistic people I have ever known.”

Noonan also has an unwavering conviction that she must always be willing to try new things. She’s fearless in this regard, as she feels any teacher must be. “Not all lessons are a success; in fact, some end up as total failures. But, as I reflect upon what went awry, a new and better lesson emerges,” she says. “Sometimes the lesson is improved for the next block, sometimes for the next year. Because I am someone who tries new things, I am often sought out as a resource for other teachers, which leads to staff development sessions where I can share lessons with the entire staff.”

NDU United member Andrea Noonan is among 39 public educators who will be honored at the NEA Foundation’s Salute to Excellence in Education Gala to be held in Washington, DC on February 13, 2015. One of public education’s most anticipated events, the gala attracts more than 850 of the nation’s leaders from public education, philanthropy, and the private sector. Each educator’s school will receive a $650 award. From the 39 state awardees, five finalists will be selected to receive $10,000 cash awards. At the conclusion of the Washington, DC gala, one finalist will be named the nation’s top educator and receive an additional $25,000.

The NEA Foundation and the National Education Association jointly present the awards.

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ND United Voices

President Archuleta and Noonan at NDU Awards banquet.

Since becoming North Dakota Teacher of the Year, Noonan has earned her National Board Certification as well as a Masters of Education in Instructional Design and Technology at the University of North Dakota.

Her Master’s program, where she maintained a 4.0 grade point average, was designed with activities that include theory as well as putting theory into practice by creating lessons. “By participating in the instructional design process,” she said, “I analyze student performance, compare current performance to desired goals, create assessments and instruction that meet goals and objectives, and implement instruction using the most suitable technology.”

According to Noonan, communication with parents and community is vital to the education process. “There was a time when all parties worked together,” she said. “The NEA states teachers find parent communication to be one of the most difficult parts of the education field. Teachers need the tools to be able to effectively communicate with parents in the 21st Century. It is my goal to bridge the gap that has developed between communities and their schools.”

“Parents and stakeholders want to know what is happening in schools and how teachers and students are performing,” she said. Noonan developed a website at her former school to deliver such information based on AdvancED recommendations and standards. Interested community members can look to this website to check on the national accreditation process of their nearby school (www.wix.com/anoona8/ advanced).

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“Together we can brainstorm many methods to help teachers and schools be prepared to facilitate discussions on education by choosing the avenue that is most appropriate for specific levels, departments, and communities,” said Noonan. “Communication is the key. Let’s get the conversation started!”

“ND United is strongly supporting Andrea Noonan for the NEA Foundation Award for Teaching Excellence,” said ND United President Nick Archuleta.

The NEA Foundation Awards for Teaching Excellence recognize, reward and promote excellence in teaching and advocacy for the profession. They also honor public education and the dedicated members of the NEA. The awards are presented jointly by the NEA Foundation and the National Education Association (NEA) with support from NEA Member Benefits, the Horace Mann Educators’ Corporation and California Casualty.

All affiliate awardees receive expenses-paid travel to The NEA Foundation’s Annual Salute to Excellence in Education Gala in Washington, DC. Five awardees are selected for The Horace Mann Awards for Teaching Excellence and receive $10,000 each plus expenses and paid travel for themselves and a guest. The NEA Member Benefits Award for Teaching Excellence recipient, selected from the five, receives $25,000 in cash and a personalized commemorative gift.

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Education Perspectives

SCHOOL IS OUT!

Educators prepare for next year

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chool is out! Now what? How do you rejuvenate after the school year?

Recharging oneself for next fall may take on many different looks.

“Give your stress wings and let it fly away,” says Carin Hartness. Most of us wish it was that simple.

By Karen Christensen Vice President of Education

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Use your summer to become an overall better

you. This will contribute to making you an even better educator when the school year resumes.”

Studies show that between 45 – 50 percent of educators take on a part-time job during the summer. Low salaries make this option a necessity for some.

Taking on part-time work outside of the education field can be helpful in several ways. Summer work will help finances, and it may also change the pace of your day-to-day activities. You may find yourself involved with a job that is physically challenging instead of mentally challenging like your classroom.

Professional development opportunities such as workshops, teacher resource books, online trainings, college courses, book studies, and other learning communities are available to build professional growth. These may be time consuming activities, but they do help keep educators at the top of their game.

Administrators also notice educators who go above and beyond their jobs to improve educational quality in the schools.

Preparation for the new school year tends to happen even before the current year is completed. Plans for lessons, room arrangement, classroom organization and class schedules begin.

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Developing an understanding of standards and altering lessons to meet the standards, play a crucial part in being prepared for a new school year. Being prepared reduces the stress during the upcoming school year.

“Strive for perfection in everything you do. Take the best that exists and make it better. When it does not exist, design it…” Fad Ibra Quotes & Sayings Last but not least, you really need to find time to relax. June, July and August are not the number one reason people choose to go into education. Surveys suggest educators place a higher value on selflessness and nobility of their craft than do other professionals. Educators need to take time to do things that help them find their own happy place and just relax. Hobbies and family time tend to be sacrificed during the school year, and you need to take this chance to reconnect and give your mind and body a chance to rejuvenate.

Use your summer to become an overall better you. This will contribute to making you an even better educator when the school year resumes.

Thank you to all that contribute to the education of our youth. You have completed your duty for the 2013-14 school year. Rejuvenate and let’s make the 2014-15 school year even better than the last.

ND United Voices

Public Service Perspectives

HOW FREE ARE WE?

Two recent court cases demonstrate limits of rights afforded to public workers

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By Gary Feist Vice President of Public Employees

orth Dakota United is affiliated with two international unions: the National Education Association (NEA) and American Federation of Teachers (AFT). The AFT membership is divided up into the following five different constituencies: K-12 Teachers, Paraprofessionals and School-Related Personnel, Nurses, Higher Education and Public Employees. Each constituency has a program and policy council (PPC), which discusses issues that are affecting its members and acts as the liaison to the AFT Executive Council. I have served as a member of the Public Employee PPC for 12 years and have had the opportunity to learn and share information that is affecting public employees around the country.

At the May 2014 Public Employee PPC meeting, we had the opportunity to hear from AFT’s legal department about some recent court cases regarding the rights of public employees under the First and Fourth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution. Two of these cases stood out to me as being of particular interest to all of us in public employ.

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The world of social media has changed the

way people communicate and is changing the rights of public employees.”

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Many people use social media such as Facebook to post information about things going on in their lives. These postings often include issues that are happening at the workplace. In the case of Graziosi vs. City of Greenville, from the Northern District of Mississippi, a sergeant of the police department was fired for posting a “status update” from her Facebook page on the Mayor’s Facebook page, stating is was totally unacceptable that the department was not sending a representative to the funeral of a police officer killed in the line of duty. The post was made using the employee’s personal computer while she was off duty.

Graziosi appealed the firing claiming her First Amendment rights; however the court ruled her speech was not protected because it was not made as a private citizen speaking on an issue of public concern. The court further concluded that even if she had spoken as a

citizen on a matter of public concern, the department could still fire the employee if its interest in promoting the efficiency of its services outweighed the employee’s interest in making the comments.

The world of social media has changed the way people communicate and is changing the rights of public employees. As public employees, we need to be very careful about what we say on social media regarding the work that we do and the issues that are affecting us on the job. This case demonstrates that the First Amendment does not protect a public employee’s speech, even when it is done through their personal device away from work.

In a second recent court case, the Fourth Amendment right of a public employee in New York was in question when the Department of Labor attached a GPS tracking device to the employee’s personal car to monitor the employee’s activity. The court ruled that tracking an employee through the use of GPS did not require a search warrant because it was within the “workplace” exception. The workplace exception is based on the Supreme Court case O’Connor v.

Ortega, 480 U.S. 709 (1987) in which the court stated that requiring an employer to obtain a warrant to conduct a search of a worker’s office, desk, or file cabinet for a work-related investigation would be cumbersome. In the case of the employee’s personal vehicle used during work hours, the court said it was not any more private than personal information that may be on an employee’s desk.

Many of you may be surprised by these two court cases and the limited rights that we, as public employees, have when compared to those rights of a regular citizen. These are just two issues discussed at our last meeting that may interest many of you. In the coming issues of United Voices, I will update you about the latest attacks on public employee defined benefit pensions and AFT’s campaign to bring retirement security to all.

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Donna Slais receives a ‘Star Quilt’ from Mandaree Principal Carolyn Blueston (far left) and board members.

AN UNUSUAL REASON FOR RETIRING Member leaves because of ‘Big Oil’

By Linda Harsche, NDU Communications

Wiping away her tears as board members, teachers, parents, and students speak glowingly about her 32 years of teaching first grade at Mandaree School in Northwestern North Dakota, Donna Slais passionately explained the reason she was retiring.

It was not your usual reason like wanting to travel and enjoy life. It was not because she was tired of teaching, because she truly loves her first graders. It was because of the oil industry in western North Dakota. “I’m scared,” she said. “I can’t drive 32 miles back and forth from Watford City anymore.”

“I’m scared to death of the roads with all the huge oil trucks on them day and night. I only have one way to get from Watford City to Mandaree,” she said. “I wait in line forever. One day I waited two hours, and I was late for work. The big trucks passing me on the hills are the worst part of all.”

ND United President Nick Archuleta was asked by Mandaree President Eldora Poitra to attend the event after finding out Slais was a member of the Association for her entire career. So, on May 7, President Archuleta arrived at the Mandaree School for Slais retirement benefit complete with traditional Native American food, dancing and drumming.

The evening began in the packed gym at the school with an Honor Guard escorting Slais and a colleague in to the ceremony with the beat of drums.

Once prayers were said in both Native American and English languages, event participants were treated to a culturally diverse meal.

Besides the traditional Native American feast of soup, fry bread, and June-berry sauce the school was celebrating International Day. Participants also enjoyed: sauerkraut and sausages, egg bake, Swedish meatballs, sweet soup, bread, butter and jam, and Kool-Aid.

“Up until this year, I always had someone to carpool with each day, and that made it easier,” said Slais. This has been a tough year for me After dinner the drums started beating again and the traditional driving alone through the oil patch, and it’s only going to get worse. dancers began performing in full regalia to honor Slais. There were So, now is the time to say ‘goodbye’ to teaching.” traditional dancers, grass dancers, chicken dancers and jingle dancers.

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ND United Voices

President Archuleta congratulates Slais.

Gifts were given and school board members, parents, students, colleagues and the principal reminisced and conveyed to Slais how much she would be missed. President Archuleta presented a gift basket to Slais. “This is for your many years of membership.

They are greatly appreciated,” he said, “and you have helped NDU become the preeminent voice of K-12 education in North Dakota.”

“More importantly,” he said, “is your excellent service to the children and community of Mandaree over these past 32 years. Your dedication and professionalism has made a lasting impact on the lives of our students and their families for that and countless other contributions, you can be very proud.”

Archuleta had another surprise for Slaris. It was a letter from U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp, who said, “I can only imagine the positive impact you have had on generations of young students you taught. Your influence and dedication undoubtedly has helped shape them into good citizens and leaders of tomorrow.”

The final gift, a beautiful Star Quilt, was given to Slais and it was wrapped around her shoulders; the drums began to beat again and everyone hugged Slais and formed a line behind her to dance around the gym. President Archuleta was honored to dance with the group.

As the ceremony wound down, Slais thanked all for coming and making her retirement so special. “I will miss my first graders and all of you,” she said. “But, I won’t miss the big oil trucks on the drive from here to Watford City.” ndunited.org

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I’m scared to death of the roads with all the huge oil

trucks on them day and night. I only have one way to get from Watford City to Mandaree.”

Photos starting from the top, left to right Slais watches dances.

Manaree President Eldora Poitra and Archuleta.

Dancer.

Drums start beating.

Dancers in their regalia.

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ND United Voices

FIND OUT WHAT’S IN YOUR SELFIE Are you familiar with the concept of “selfies”?

If not, you probably think I just made up a stupid word for my own amusement. But I didn’t. Sure, it’s a stupid word. And am I currently amused by my own self ? Sure, probably. But I didn’t make up the word.

moving in our state. We maintain the roads, plow snow, respond to emergencies, keep an eye on air and water quality, assist our society’s vulnerable populations, and on and on. We do incredibly important work for every person in North Dakota.

A selfie is, very simply, a picture you take of yourself. For the purposes of visual display, I am including a selfie I took of myself and Geoff Greenwood, UniServ director for NDU, while he is hard at work at his desk. He appears to be very busy. Hopefully I didn’t bother him too much, but I can’t spend my whole life worrying about the moods of Geoff Greenwood.

And the people like us, for what we do. Public opinion polls routinely show wide support in North Dakota for the work that is being done by our public educators and public employees. The support of the public is essential to what we do. However we can do it, we need to nurture that support.

Selfies have picked up a lot of buzz within the last year or so, but they’re not new. For as long as man has had ready access to camera, we have taken opportunity upon opportunity to turn the camera around and take an awkwardly framed photo of ourselves. The world’s oldest selfie is thought to be a portrait taken by Robert Cornelius in October of 1839, when he took a photo of himself as he stood rigidly self-aware for anywhere between three and 15 minutes, in the back yard of his family’s lamp store in Philadelphia for a silver-plated daguerreotype photo.

Yes, selfies are very, very old.

They serve a purpose, however. We take pictures of ourselves because we want to see what we look like to other people. Selfies are often taken while we’re doing something notable. At tourist destinations, concerts, sporting events or the Oscars, you’ll often see families or groups of friends huddled around a cell phone camera, faces smooshed together to get everyone in frame, taking a picture to capture a moment in time that they don’t want to forget. A selfie is a proclamation, to yourself and to the world, “I did this. I’m here. This is who I am.”

I mention all this because selfies are a great tool by which you can show your communities what it is you do and tell them about how important your work is. North Dakota United is a union of professionals, representing public workers of a wide variety of job titles. Primarily, we are educators, and the majority of our membership consists of teachers, professors and education support professionals. We work in schools and universities, and we educate students. But our members are also public employees, providing the basic public services that keep everything

You can encourage the support of the public by continually spreading the word about what you do. Open up the doors, and let the public see you in action.

One of our locals, the Mandan Education Association, has been incredibly active on social media through their Facebook page. I would encourage all of you on Facebook to search for “Mandan Education Association-MEA” and to like their page. On the MEA page, they have begun a hashtag campaign called #teachersinaction. The premise is simple: They take selfies of themselves on the job, and share those pictures with their supporters. Scroll through their page or search for the hashtag #teachersinaction, and you’ll see pictures of their teachers touring the Heritage Center or the Falkirk coal mine, attending the NDU Leadership Training in Bismarck, or even one male teacher who dressed up in a dress for school one day as the payoff on a challenge he made to his students to raise $1500 for the local charity, Bike2Believe.

Let’s do more of this. As part of your local’s public relations efforts, don’t be afraid to take pictures of yourself on the job and share them on your social media profiles. Tag them with #TeachersInAction or #WorkersInAction, or perhaps even #NDUInAction. You’ll be amazed by the response you get.

We’re a union of people. Our stock in trade is the faces and personalities of our members. Every day, we’re all working incredibly hard for the good of all the people who live in our state. Don’t be afraid to show people what it is you’re doing. Take pride in your work. Show it off.

You owe it to yourself. You owe it to your selfie.

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By Kelly Hagen Director of Field Communications ndunited.org

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By Kelly Hagen, NDU Communications

What is North Dakota United?

If you were to ask ND United President Nick Archuleta, he might tell you – as he did during his opening address at the Inaugural NDU Delegate Assembly on Saturday, April 12, at the Seven Seas in Mandan – that NDU is a seven-month-old baby. “If NDU was a baby, we’d be learning to walk,” Archuleta said. “A gifted baby.”

North Dakota United is the representative organization of our state’s public workforce. NDU is the union of over 11,000 public school teachers and support staff, university faculty and staff, city, county and state employees, retired public workers and students. Our organization has members in every community in North Dakota. We serve every person in North Dakota, young and old, giving them the quality public services and public education that they are all promised, and that they all deserve. We are friends. We are family. We are your neighbors. We are what we say we are: We are North Dakotans, united.

NEA Vice President Lily Eskelsen Garcia

The definition of North Dakota United was on full display at the first-ever Delegate Assembly of its members on Saturday. With 130 delegates representing the different communities, geographic locations and job classifications of our entire membership, this was the first official gathering of representatives of the full membership of North Dakota United since the February 2013 vote of delegates from the North Dakota Education Association and the North Dakota Public Employees Association to affirm a merger of those two organizations and form NDU. “Since the merger of NDEA and NDPEA on Sept. 1 of last year, North Dakota United has become the state’s largest association of professionals, representing almost 11,500 members … from Bowman to Pembina, and Crosby to Fairmont, and all places in between,” Archuleta stated proudly in his opening remarks.

The historic nature of this first Delegate Assembly in North Dakota was recognized by the participation of two of the most important figures in education in the United States: Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, and Lily Eskelsen Garcia, vice president of the National Education Association. With the vote to merge in 2013, North Dakota United is just the fifth state in the U.S. in which the affiliates of the NEA and AFT have merged into one unified organization.

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AFT President Randi Weingarten

ND United Voices

“When you merged last year, I called it historic,” Weingarten said during her remarks. “And indeed it is. Not only did it bring two great unions – AFT and NEA – under one roof. It also brought together employees who serve the public in many ways – from great public schools to safe roads to quality health programs – that are the foundation of North Dakota’s quality of life.”

Weingarten praised the effects of merger, and predicted that the unified voice of public employees and educators in N.D. will be a more effective voice with which to improve schools and services in the state. “And we know that North Dakotans need your voice,” she said.

“The oil boom has also meant a boom in crime,” she continued. “Public infrastructure is maxed out. Schools are overcrowded. Recruiting and retaining public service workers is a real challenge – especially when these services are stretched to the limit.”

Weingarten pointed out that, from the late 1990s to the mid-2000s, North Dakota’s poorest 20 percent saw no change in income, while its richest 20 percent saw a 19 percent jump. And the cost of living is skyrocketing. In 2005, a family of four living in rural N.D. required approximately $34,000 per year to live. In 2012, that cost of living has risen to $60,000. “It’s not New York prices, but it’s a real change with real implications,” she said.

Weingarten identified North Dakota as one battleground in the fight between those who believe in providing great public services for all people, and those who seek to privatize everything. “We have fought the good fight in state after state, community after community,” she said, “and while we have lost in places like Wisconsin, and Michigan; we have had some important victories as well – in Ohio, in Montana, in Virginia; in L.A., in Chicago, in New York City. And while we have been battered and bruised we have learned a lot, and have grown stronger and more resilient. And when I say we have learned – we have learned that community must be our new density, and that we must both fight back and fight forward – being both solution-driven and a little fierce. And that if we want to really create a new majority, we in this room can’t do it alone, to create a new majority; to win elections; to change the conditions in our schools and communities, our members and our communities have to be actively engaged.”

NDu President Nick Archuleta addresses session.

Retired member Bob and Ruth Stefonowicz enjoy DA.

Lily Eskelsen Garcia spoke to that same struggle between protecting our public services and destroying them. “Sometimes we forget that this is personal,” Eskelsen Garcia said. “We forget to talk about the big people and the little people we serve.

“There is no better way to defend ourselves and defend our cause than to really put ourselves in front of the public and have them see what we do for the public,” she said. “There’s an old adage that says: It ain’t bragging if you can do it. We change lives. We save lives, every single day. If we’re going to build public confidence in public schools, if we’re going to build public confidence in our unions and what we’re doing, we had better learn how to brag.”

There are many reasons to brag about our public school system, Eskelsen Garcia said, but to do it, the truth has to come out. She said that she and Weingarten sit on a committee for Education International, a group that watchdogs groups that release international education scores, which often put the U.S. far behind the top in rankings. “And if you take these PESA rankings, these international rankings, and you look at America and you take out just the schools that have less than 10 percent poverty, and that’s most of our schools, by the way. And the U.S. ranks number one.”

Delgeates converse during a break.

“So is it that schools are failing, or are we failing children that are in poverty? Are we failing to keep a middle class that can compete, that can just put food on the tables?”

Eskelsen Garcia closed up her speech by imploring all our members to go out and talk to your sphere of influence, and tell them what you do and how important that is. With a combined membership of 4 million between the NEA and AFT, that means that 1 in 100 Americans is a member of our two unions.

“Each of our members has a powerful circle of influence,” she said. “If you don’t work for a school, that doesn’t matter. Your members still talk about their work – about the families they touch, the people who need them to succeed. … You, personally, can tell a story to 1 in every 100 Americans.

You can tell a story to your circle of influence about something that’s happening with your students, with the families you server that they will remember. And they will see why you are a passionate professional willing to fight for something better.”

Member listens intently to speaker

“Tell people what you’re fighting for. Be a persuasive speaker and let your story give your reason and evidence.”

Delegate Assembly is the democratic body of the union. And so, DA was also the venue for delegates to consider resolutions, a legislative agenda for the 2015 session, dues structure, a budget for the upcoming year and other New Business Items.

Vice President of Public Employees Gary Feist and Chief Financial Officer Gary Rath presented a report of the Budget & Finance Committee and led a discussion of the 2014-15 NDU budget. After vigorous debate, the budget was approved.

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DPI Superintendent Kristen Baesler speaks to members

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In addition, a total of 11 New Business Items were brought up for discussion and a vote on the floor. All of these New Business Items will be posted on our website.

Bruce Maylath, President ND State United, listens to speakers.

Delegates mingle before assembly.

Some of the topics discussed included: • Measure 1 on the June ballot, which would shorten the time frame in which initiated measures for a state ballot could be turned in from the current 90 days ahead of election to 120 days before, will be opposed by NDU. • Measure 3 on the November ballot, which would replace the current State Board of Higher Education and the state Chancellor with a board of three members appointed by the government, will be opposed by NDU. • Delegates debated heavily on the potential Measure 4 on the November ballot, which would create a Conservation Fund from oil tax revenues, which would be used to buy and protect certain amounts of land from the effects of oil development. Following a vote, the delegation decided that NDU will take a neutral stance on this measure.

• The special public relations, Foundation and disaster relief fund assessments were all approved.

• NDU Resolutions and statements of belief were the subject of a very heavy debate, which stretched from the morning business session into the afternoon. Ultimately, New Business Item #8 was amended to be more inclusive, and decisively state that the organization will include resolutions for public employees.

• A measure to hire a higher education-dedicated organizer position, and to bring on a second attorney, dedicated to higher education issues, was debated heavily, as well. Ultimately, that issue is being sent to the NDU Board of Directors to consider and take action on.

The third special guest at Delegate Assembly was Kirsten Baesler, superintendent of the Department of Public Instruction. Baesler touched on a number of important issues to her and her department in her speech, and asked NDU members for their assistance in getting them done. “You are the educational leaders out there,” Baesler said. “You are the frontlines. You know what’s going on; you know how the policies and the funding impact what you have to try to accomplish every day, each year. You have ideas, you have concerns, and you have important opinions. I need to hear those.”

She promised to continue to “chip away, chip away, chip away” at the Legislature on Early Childhood Education, until the state leaders finally decide to vote to provide public funding for schools to create programs for early childhood learning. She promoted the work that the Legislature has done for providing state aid to schools for construction and renovation, and to reduce property tax rates, but said that more work needs to be done. “Most people in North Dakota don’t realize that the big chunk of the increase in North Dakota education was meant to provide relief for our property taxes,” she said. “It did not provide higher salaries for our hard-working teachers or money for new classroom equipment. It was, in essence, a shell game.”

Weingarten and Eskelsen Garcia visit before speeches.

She restated her commitment to the implementation of the North Dakota English and Math Standards, based on the Common Core Standards, that has taken place across N.D. this past year, and will be tested in 2015. “We have to stand together on this,” she asked. “This is not a time to get weak-kneed about this. This is not a time for us to question and see if this, too, shall pass. Because it won’t, regardless of any resolution that’s passed at any state convention.”

The question was asked earlier: What is North Dakota United? When the final gavel struck on the afternoon of April 12, 2014, signifying the end of our Inaugural Delegate Assembly, it marked the end of a 14-month process of merging two unions in order to form one more perfect union, one more capable of improving the quality of life for not only the over 11,000 members of NDU, but for all the citizens of North Dakota that we serve. It signified that North Dakota United is the promise of a better future.

“Today is about the future,” President Archuleta said. “Our future is laid out in front of us, and I assure you that, if we dare to think big, to think boldly, to work hard and to expect success, then the future of North Dakota can be brighter than anyone can imagine.”

Minot delegates Dana Wahl and Lisa Wolf listen intently.

NDU public employees dues changes set Effective July 1, local, state and national dues for public employees (state, county, and city will be .875 percent of the salary earned. The maximum state and national dues will be $38.85 per month and the minimum will be $19.57 per month. In addition, members will pay $1.00 in special assessments to support the NDU Foundation, the public relations activities of NDU and the NDU Disaster Fund. Dues for North Dakota Public Employee locals will be $1.00 per month.

Dues changes for other K-12 and Higher Education employees will be effective Sept. 1 and will be communicated to all locals with the fall membership material.

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Shelly Murphy of Mayville looks over the agenda.

ND United Voices

NDU Fall Conference

“Using Assessments to Drive Instruction”

Oct. 16-17, 2014 Mandan Middle School Main Speaker | Sectionals

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FIELD TESTING SUGGESTS SNAGS Overall exams give educators exposure to common core

By Linda Harsche, NDU Communications

A

“

The amount of interactive questions and technology will

greatly expand the reasoning and logical thinking involved for students---no more just guessing A, B, C or D through the entire tests.”

ccording to Education Week, the new Common Core testing has experienced a few bumps along the way.

guessing A, B, C or D through the entire tests,” said Walz.

Some schools said the first couple of days of testing were a little cumbersome while students transitioned from the old style and method of testing to the new Common Core testing.

However, as the days went on, the kids got increasingly better and extremely familiar with the test, new technology and style of the test.

Viewing of training modules and preparation of test administrators has made a big difference in ensuring a successful administration of the field testing.

“The purpose of the field test being used across North Dakota is to determine the validity of test items, establish cut scores for achievement levels, identify trouble areas for correction before the first operational assessment in spring of 2015, and to give students, teachers, and administrators exposure to the new assessment system,” said Assistant Director of Assessments for the Department of Public Instruction, Rob Bauer.

“As of May 12, 2014, 5,323 students in grades 3 through 11 have completed either a math or ELA assessment in North Dakota. Nationwide, over 3.7 million Common Core tests have been completed by students in either ELA or math.

This is more students than have ever been tested in a field test in the US,” he said.

This field test has been accomplished through the cooperation of multiple test vendors playing specific roles in the development and delivery of the field test. The Educational Testing Service (ETS) has managed the overall administration and support, American Institutes for Research (AIR) has provided the test delivery platform, and CTB/McGraw-Hill has provided the field test items according to the Smarter Balanced test blueprint.

North Dakota will be surveying test administrators and students to collect their observations about the field test and determine areas of improvement before the first operational assessment is administered in 2015. So far, about 500 students and 90 test administrators have been surveyed.

Brian Walz, seventh grade math teacher at Eric Ramstad in Minot, was impressed and excited by the math portion of the Smarter Balance Assessment Consortium test. “The amount of interactive questions and technology will greatly expand the reasoning and logical thinking involved for students—no more just

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Shelly Murphy of Mayville looks over the agenda.

General Observations:

Coding of special accommodations for each student in large school districts is tedious. This will need to be streamlined for the operational assessment.

Field test results will be used for the purpose of establishing cut scores for the achievement levels. North Dakota educators will be involved in this process.

Technology:

There have been no known problems reported with internal and external bandwidth in North Dakota.

Some technology issues including problems with audio and screen resolution on netbooks were found. These issues are being logged so that corrective action can be taken before the first operational assessment in the spring of 2015.

In some other states, while logging on to the assessments, computer screens repeatedly displayed messages that the site was down for maintenance. Students who managed to start the test often found their sessions abruptly terminated. As a results, 40 percent or more of one teacher’s students had to repeat the test another day.

However, in other states, students enjoyed the online experience. “It took a little time to get used to taking the test on computers, but students liked being able to scroll up and down during the test and see the materials side by side,” said a superintendent from Illinois.

Students in Michigan reported enjoying the tests’ accessibility tools, such as highlighting and striking out text.

Regardless of the coast-to-coast glitches, fieldtesting of online assessments is going more smoothly than many educators had expected.

Hopefully, North Dakota’s field-testing of the online assessments will go just as well.

ND United Voices

UNITED VOICES Serving the public every step of the way!

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“

My hope is to make a positive impact in building better relationships

Member Profile

between African immigrants and other Americans.”

INSPIRED TO HELP African immigrant works in West Fargo school and aspires to give back with gift of education

By Kelly Hagen, NDU Communications

I

nspiration is the primary goal for Hassan Abdi. As a paraprofessional for Cheney Middle School in West Fargo and ESP member of North Dakota United, a full-time student in education at Minnesota State UniversityMoorhead, and an immigrant to the U.S., a refugee originally from a war-torn community in Somalia, Abdi is driven each day to be an inspiration of what any person can accomplish with the right attitude and proper motivation.

“I want to educate the Africans suffering both here and there, whose parents don’t have an education,” said Abdi. “I want to be an inspiration for them. So they see me teaching at a school, they understand that Hassan, one of the refugees, who grew up without a dad and with a single mom, can do it, then we can do it, too.”

Abdi was born in Kismaya, Somalia, in 1982.

His actual birth date is unknown to him, because there was no record kept for births in his home country.

A civil war erupted in Somalia when Abdi was still very young. His father, Mustaf Abdi, was killed by warlords in 1991. His mother, Shamso, his older sister, Nadifo, and younger brother, Omar, were forced to walk to Kenya in order to escape the violence, and they took refuge in a camp run by the United Nations.

“Thanks to God, the United Nations helped me a lot,” Abdi said. “Without them I wouldn’t even survive. It was them who brought me here. It was them who paid my bills. It was them who helped me in the refugee camps. It was them. I want to work for them because it was them who worked for me when I was young.”

Abdi was able to attend school in the refugee camp in Kenya, and graduated high school in 2006. After finishing school, his family was given the opportunity to immigrate to the U.S., and they were brought to live in West Fargo.

“During my years in Kenya, and through the strong example set by my mother, I became a

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man who will be able to succeed in whatever I try to accomplish,” Abdi stated. “I believe that hard work and perseverance will bring rewards, and this is what I want to instill in my students when I become a teacher.”

Abdi went to work full-time at Marvin Windows, in order to support his family, while also attending Moorhead State Community and Technical College, pursuing a degree in business. After three years, he completed his degree. But upon achieving his goal, he felt like it wasn’t quite what he wanted. “I was in business, but I see life in business as being very tough,” he said. “In America, it’s all about who you know. And I don’t know anybody.”

He turned his eyes toward the aspiration he had long valued and pursued, and was the primary reason that he and his family had traveled so far and struggled so much to achieve: education.

“Education is the key to success,” Abdi says, unequivocally. “Nobody’s going to succeed without education. Education will help you a lot. Since I suffered a lot back home and here, I want to help those guys who are helpless, the innocent kids in the refugee camps, who have never been helped a lot. Those kids in the refugee camps, nobody cares about them. They die without an education. But if they are given an opportunity, they can change it. So I want to help the people in the refugee camps who have been denied their rights. The sooner I can do that, the sooner I graduate, I want to go back and help those innocent kids that need help.”

Abdi is now enrolled at Minnesota State University-Moorhead, pursuing his Bachelor of Science degree in education. He aspires to be a math teacher, and return to school to become a counselor. “My hope is to make a positive impact in building better relationships between African immigrants and other Americans,” he said. “My long-term goal is to earn a doctorate in education from UND in Grand Forks.”

While attending classes at MSUM, he also

ND United Voices

NDU member Hassan Abdi on the campus of Minnesota State University-Moorhead works as a paraprofessional at Cheney Middle School in West Fargo. He came to his job at Cheney through a chance encounter with Gail Haug, a special education teacher at Cheney and the president of the West Fargo Education Association.

“One day, what happened was there was a neighbor who is a mom, she had to meet with the school about her son from Somalia,” Abdi recounted, “and I can translate in Somali. She told me to give her a ride to the school. We met with Gail Haug, we talked to her about a lot, about this kid. I advised the kid. I’m a very good advisor. I am a very good counselor. I advised the kid, I said, ‘Hey, listen, you must be better than this.’ I basically advised the kid by motivating him a lot, inspiring him a lot. So because of that, Mrs. Haug thinks that I can help this kid. So then Mrs. Haug called me and asked me, ‘Hassan, do you want to work as a paraprofessional?’ And I said yes. Then she helped me to apply for the job.”

Abdi’s primary work duty is working directly with the student he first accompanied to the school to meet with Gail Haug. “I just kind of made a relationship with him,” Abdi said. “I always tell him inspirational stories, stories that are going to make him happy to succeed. I don’t yell at him, but I just make him happier by telling him that he can do better than this.

I make sure that this young man succeeds at his life.” He works with other refugee students, in translating and setting a good example for them. “If I see them do wrong,” he said, “I supervise them by telling them my story so that they can succeed in life.”

The example he sets is powerful, according to Haug. “Hassan has provided my student with an opportunity to develop self-discipline and academic learning in a way that no other teacher has been able to accomplish,” Haug said. “Hassan has made a wonderful connection with this student. Since Hassan started in January, my student has gained both academically and has increased in his self-esteem. Hassan has gained the respect of this student because of his unique ethnic familiarity and kind, firm personality.”

ndunited.org

Assistant Principal Adam Gehlhar echoes the esteem and praise that is given to Abdi based on his work ethic and positive attitude. “As a ‘one-onone’ paraprofessional, Hassan goes above and beyond in understanding and developing solutions to meet students where they are at,” Gehlhar said. “Hassan exemplifies compassion and advocacy for all students, maintains high expectations for himself and others, and relates well to our New American populations. He is a lifelong learner; his value of education is infectious to students and staff with whom he interacts.”

Abdi was selected as the recipient of the North Dakota United Foundation Ethnic Minority Scholarship, this past April. He received $1,250 – the highest amount given to an undergraduate applicant by the Foundation among this year’s scholarship winners – which will go toward the costs of his college expenses at MSUM. Haug served as a reference for Abdi’s application for the scholarship, and admits to harboring a “bias” toward Hassan. “He, his wife and newborn baby have become like a family to me,” Haug said. “It is refreshing to be in the company of this man who appreciates every little act of kindness.

I fully believe that Hassan has a bright future in education, and will return the favor through active participation in North Dakota United and in the field of education in general, now and in the future.”

Abdi is incredibly thankful for the scholarship, and for the opportunities he has earned for himself through his dedication and strong work ethic. He said that he intends to embrace the trust and support he has been given by his colleagues at school and in the union, and to use these gifts in order to inspire those fortunate to have heard his story. “I believe that I can become an effective teacher, especially for those new American students who have had experiences similar to my own,” Abdi said. “I am proud to be an American, and I look forward to a great future in this country for me and my family.”

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ND United Voices

“

Signing up members for early enrollment helps recruiters in the fall, and dues are not payable until

then either.”

Clockwise from left to right: NDU President Nick Archuleta addresses the group. Board member Brenda Seehafer reviews the agenda. Participants visit before the workshop starts. Members enjoying the workshop. NDU Board Member Mike Stebbins visits with NDU Vice President Education Karen Christensen. Members catch up on issues.

Above: NDU Assistant Executive Director Stuart Savelkoul talks about political action. NDU UniServ Director Pam Kjonas presents a session. NDU Uniserv Director Jane Rupprecht chats with a member.

MEMBERS ADDRESS POLITICAL ACTION AT MINOT CONFERENCE

Archuleta challenges participants to sign up members

By Linda Harsche, NDU Communications

T

he Workers’ Rights/Political Action Conference held April

Savelkoul explained to the participants that by nature they weren’t

26, 2014, at Minot’s Magic City Campus turned out to be a

power-seeking people, but the decisions are made by those who

huge success.

The day started out with a welcome from ND United President Nick Archuleta, who challenged participants to sign up members for early enrollment in ND United. And, to match his challenge he offered an incentive. “If you sign someone up, your name will

actively participate. He went on to share a poll from 2013 and its results amazed those in attendance. The poll revealed that teachers and public employees do have power, that North Dakotans will give them power, and that North Dakotans are big supporters of NDU members.

go into a hat and you might win $100 from me,” said Archuleta.

According to Savelkoul, because NDU members have power

“Signing up members for early enrollment helps recruiters in the

in the state, we have to work towards electing better people to

fall, and dues are not payable until then either.”

the Legislature. Pokorny went one step further and stressed

UniServ Directors Jane Rupprecht and Pam Kjonaas presented a session titled, “Stand Together or Fall Alone” – Know your Rights.

Their session pertained to Labor and Employment, and explained to participants how important it is to be part of a union instead of

that we need to start making more effort in the election process with school board elections. “We don’t care whether they are Democrats or Republicans,” said Pokorny. “They just need to be fair on NDU issues.”

trying to stand alone against the many obstacles they might face

NDU Vice President Karen Christensen said, “NDU conducts

during their career.

interviews with candidates to match our goals with theirs. You, as

During the afternoon, ND United Assistant Executive Director of Political Advocacy Stuart Savelkoul and UniServ Director Fern

members, can make a difference by being a part of the political process.”

Pokorny conducted a session titled “If You’re Not at the Table,

Many of the participants stayed following the Conference for a

You’re on the Menu” – Political Action through your Association.

question and answer session.

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Valley City Education Association Negotiators From left to right: Nancy Ost, Sarah Lerud, Kathy Lentz, Dallas Dockter

IT’S BEEN A LONG HAUL, BUT WE ARE PROUD TO BE ND UNITED MEMBERS Valley City is looking forward to the next school year

By Linda Harsche, NDU Communications

O

n May 21, the Valley City Education Association (VCEA) met and ratified a contract agreement that had been in the works for almost ten months. Throughout those months, the Association went through mediation, State Fact Finding, and a successful lawsuit.

“Negotiations are finally complete for 2013 and now we can look forward to the next school year,” said chief negotiator Kathy Lentz.

“It’s been a long haul,” said negotiator Sarah Lerud, “but we are proud to be North Dakota United (NDU) members and appreciate the support we’ve received throughout this ordeal. A special thanks goes out to NDU UniServ Director Deanna Paulson who attended countless meetings to guide us through the process, and NDU President Nick Archuleta, who was also present on several different occasions to offer his support. Both spoke to the media on our behalf, and we couldn’t have made it through this turmoil without them.”

“Kathy Lentz and her teammates attempted to negotiate a contract with the School District for so long that many of us would have given up,” said UniServ Director Deanna Paulson. “Always the consummate professional, Lentz fought for the integrity of Valley City’s negotiated agreement by remaining a steady and strong voice for her colleagues.”

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ND United Voices

“But, NDU Attorney Mike Geiermann was our ‘rock’ throughout this whole ordeal,” said both Lentz and Lerud.

The VCEA first began negotiations on July 16, 2013. The School Board proposal included a salary freeze with teachers not gaining a year of experience as per the salary schedule in the negotiated agreement and a new 85/15 funding formula for health insurance.

VCEA proposal included $1,500 on the base salary. After the first negotiation’s meeting, VCEA negotiators contacted Paulson for assistance.

At the next negotiations meeting on July 23, 2013, many VCEA members were in attendance for support. Both parties agreed to language regarding Professional Learning Community (PLC) chair payment to reflect Board policy; Board did not agree to any other changes and stayed firm on the salary freeze citing financial woes due to the new state funding formula. VCEA proposals included tabling 85/15 plan to allow insurance committee to study it and reduce salary increase to $1,300.

At the Aug. 5, 2013, negotiation’s meeting, there was no movement by either party and impasse was declared.

Mediation between VCEA and VCPS School Board started on Sept. 3, 2013. Superintendent Koppelman spoke on behalf of the Board and Kathy Lentz spoke on behalf of VCEA. Mediators were Dick Gulmon (Chairperson), Gary Thune, and Art Goffe. The two parties tentatively agreed on two of the proposals. However, one Board negotiator stated the Board team members have no authority to make decisions without the Board’s approval. VCEA tentatively agreed to accept a $200 increase on the base salary.

On Sept. 12, 2013, after two additional School Board meetings on Sept. 9 and Sept. 12, the Board announced that the salary freeze would continue, the School Board wanted to establish a new health insurance committee, dictating that three-fifths of the members of said committee were from the School Board, and rejected the VCEA proposal regarding payment for sick leave upon retirement.

VCEA President Kathy Lentz and Superintendent Koppelman contacted Dean Rummel, chairman of the Education Fact Finding Commission. Both parties submitted reports to the Education Fact Finders.

An impasse hearing with the Education Fact Finding Commission was held on Oct. 15, at Jefferson Elementary School gymnasium in Valley City. Rachel Bruner-Kaufman, Legal Counsel to the School Board, spoke on behalf of the Board.

The Education Fact Finders issued a report on Oct. 28. They recommended a one-year contract, that all items previously agreed to remain in the contract, base salary be increased by $100, new Health Insurance Committee be formed. A committee should be formed and include nine members: two School Board member, four VCEA members (one per building), one non-certified VCSD employee, the business manager, and the superintendent. Teachers who retire receive $35 per unused sick leave day up to $5,000.

On Nov. 4, 2013, Rachel Bruner Kaufman, a Bismarck attorney, requested clarification on several issues in the Education Fact Finding report. Dean Rummel responded via e-mail. ndunited.org

At the Nov. 6 meeting between the School Board negotiators and VCEA negotiators, Rachel Bruner-Kaufman was named chief negotiator for the Board. Both the VCEA and the Valley City School Board accepted the Fact Finders Report as written. But, for the first time in the negotiation process, the Valley City School Board wanted the deletion of “Section 3,” which pertains to health insurance. “Section 3” protected the quality of insurance provided to VCEA members. While the School Board was given the right to change insurance carriers, the new health insurance coverage would have to be equal to or better than the existing coverage provided to VCEA members. Bruner-Kaufman explained that Dean Rummel said “Section 3” needed to be omitted in order for the new Health Insurance Committee to do its job. VCEA stood firm that “Section 3” was never negotiated therefore it should not be removed.

Kathy Lentz e-mailed Dean Rummel on Nov. 7, to state that no agreement was reached between the two parties. VCEA agreed to the Education Fact Finding report as it was written without “Section 3.”

School Board President Joyce Braunagel called Kathy Lentz on Nov. 11 to arrange a meeting later in the day. Lentz then called negotiators Dallas Dockter, Sarah Lerud and Nancy Ost to attend.

Superintendent Koppelman, Joyce Braunagel and Dean Rummel were present when the negotiators arrived. VCEA negotiators did not consider this a negotiations meeting as no Board negotiators were present. During this three-hour meeting Rummel shared a lot of information about the Affordable Health Care Act. VCEA also want to solve this insurance issue so they can move forward. The Association stated several times that “Section 3” would not be touched. They proposed adding language to “Section 2” so that the two parties could come to an agreement. At the conclusion of the meeting, VCEA did not agree to modify “Section 3,” but would discuss the new language addition to “Section 2” with VCEA members. The Board would discuss the new language, as well. Both parties agreed to request a 48-hour extension before the Fact Finding Commission published its report in the Valley City newspaper.

VCEA members met with Mike Geiermann and Deanna Paulson to discuss the Education Fact Finding report and the addition of “new language” to “Section 2.” VCEA voted unanimously to not support the new language and to accept the Education Fact Finding report as written.

The Fact Finding report was printed in the Valley City newspaper.

Neither the School Board nor the VCEA was cited as being at fault. The Board held a meeting for the public to respond to the Fact Finders report. VCEA did not attend the Board’s meeting. No public attended the meeting. VCEA followed legal advice to have no contact with the Board members or Superintendent Koppelman although the Board sent one or two e-mails to continue negotiating.

On Feb. 5, the VCEA agreed to meet with the Board based on legal advice. VCEA set the meeting time and date. Board proposals include substituting “Section 3” with “goal language” from November 11. VCEA proposal is a statement saying we will accept the Education Fact Finding report as written. VCEA requested contracts be issued. Bruner-Kaufman stated that we need to be 23

“

In addition to the outstanding service of

Mike and Deanna, I have to commend the leadership of Kathy Lentz and Sarah Lerud,” said NDU President Archuleta. “They were absolutely inspiring in their commitment to their members. I also have to recognize the courage of the VCEA members themselves.

It is never easy to stand up to one’s employer but they did because they knew they were right and they were not going to abandon the principles of good faith negotiations that they hold dear. Teachers from across the state can be very proud of their VCEA colleagues.”

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NDU Attorney Mike Geiermann

NDU UniServ Director Deanna Paulson

willing to negotiate. VCEA members once again stood their ground and walked out of the meeting.

The following day, the Board issued contracts that changed “Section 3.” VCEA met with legal counsel. VCEA collected contracts from members and voted to proceed with legal action against the School Board for Breach of Contract, negotiating in poor faith, and discrimination. On Feb. 27, 2014, the VCEA sued the School Board for bad faith negotiations and for violation of other contractual timelines contained in the negotiated agreement.

VCEA vs. Valley City School Board went to District Court on April 16, 2014, before Judge Jay Schmitz. The judge ruled in favor of VCEA. The School Board could not change “Section 3.”

At a May 19, negotiations meeting Bruner- Kaufman represented the Board and NDU Attorney Mike Geiermann represented the VCEA. The two parties reached a tentative agreement, but both parties still needed to ratify the agreement.

Almost a year after negotiations began, the VCEA and the School Board ratified the agreement. New contracts were issued and negotiations were finally completed.

“The Valley City Education Association is a model of how an association and members should act when they are treated unfairly by the school board,” said NDU attorney Geiermann. “The negotiations team led by Kathy Lentz was absolutely outstanding.

She may be one of the best negotiator/local presidents I have ever seen. Lentz, the negotiations team, the members of the VCEA, and especially Deanna Paulson, deserve all the credit here. They were fantastic!”

“In addition to the outstanding service of Mike and Deanna, I have to commend the leadership of Kathy Lentz and Sarah Lerud,” said NDU President Archuleta. “They were absolutely inspiring in their commitment to their members. I also have to recognize the courage of the VCEA members themselves. It is never easy to stand up to one’s employer but they did because they knew they were right and they were not going to abandon the principles of good faith negotiations that they hold dear. Teachers from across the state can be very proud of their VCEA colleagues.”

ND United Voices

NDU TO PRESENT STATEWIDE SEMINARS HIGHLIGHTING HOSTILE WORKPLACE AND WORKPLACE BULLYING

By Kelly Hagen, NDU Communications

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ullying in the workplace is a big problem, in North Dakota and across the country. A national survey on workplace bullying from Zogby International reported that about 54 million Americans report being bullied at work, with an estimated 43,800 acts of harassment, bullying and other threatening behavior in the workplace every day.

In a prevalence study of U.S. workers, 41.4 percent of respondents reported experiencing psychological aggression at work in the past year, representing 47 million U.S. workers (Schat, Frone & Kelloway, 2006). The research found that 13 percent, or nearly 15 million workers, reported experiencing psychological aggression on a weekly basis.

North Dakota United, the state’s largest professional organization of public employees and educators, wants to open up the topic of workplace bullying for public discussion, so that we can begin to talk about the problem, and identify solutions. To begin the conversation, NDU hosted its first Hostile Workplace Seminar on Saturday, June 7, at the Dickinson Public Library. This event was the first in a series of seminars that NDU will host in cities across the state.

“As educators, we know that bullying is not acceptable behavior for the students we teach,” said Nick Archuleta, president of North Dakota United. “We see firsthand the toll it takes on our children when they are victims of bullying. Their spirit is shattered; they lose their enthusiasm for learning, for expressing themselves, for standing out and being noticed. A bully can extinguish the flame that burns within our brightest young minds, if left unchecked. It is similarly disheartening to see bullying happen, unchecked, among our public workers. When our public employees and educators are harassed, intimidated and bullied on the job, by their administrators or co-workers, they cannot perform to their full potential. North Dakota United is making a very public statement with our Hostile Workplace Seminar in Dickinson that we will not stand idly by and allow workplace bullying to continue, unchecked. We will do everything in our power to transform hostile workplaces, wherever they may exist, into job sites where our workers are happy to report to each day, enthusiastic and unafraid to perform to their full potential, to shine and to deliver to every citizen of North Dakota the quality public services and great public education that we all deserve.”

At the NDU Hostile Workplace Seminar, attorney Michael Geiermann, NDU general counsel, and NDU staff will discuss North Dakota law as it concerns the topic of workforce harassment and bullying, and how those issues can be addressed in the workplace. Participants will have the opportunity to talk about specific issues and concerns they may have with Geiermann and the NDU staff.

All public employees – teachers, education support professionals, state/county/city employees and higher education faculty and staff – are invited to attend.

NDU HOSTILE WORKPLACE SEMINAR SCHEDULE Saturday, Sept. 6, 2014

Carrington

Chieftain Conference Center

Saturday, Oct. 4, 2014

Jamestown

Quality Inn

Saturday, Nov. 8, 2104

Minot

IBEW Hall

Saturday, Jan. 17, 2015

Bismarck

Labor Temple

Saturday, Feb. 7, 2015

Fargo

Hilton Garden Inn

Saturday, Mar. 14, 2105

Grand Forks

TBA

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The Public Record

Q&A WITH KEN PURDY

Classification and Compensation Manager for North Dakota’s Human Resources Management Services In recent years, the North Dakota Legislature has struggled extensively with trying to find the right formula for state worker compensation. As oil exploration has exploded in the Bakken, private industries are flooding into the state, and competition for workers is at an all-time high. The unemployment rate for North Dakota currently sits at 2.7 percent, which is the lowest in the country. There are more jobs available in North Dakota than there are workers available to fill these vacancies. Private employers are offering higher salaries in order to attract job seekers and fill vacancies. But the state of North Dakota has been reluctant to raise salaries in tune with this trend.

In 2011, the state Legislature commissioned the Hay Group to study state worker salaries against the market and propose a new pay plan. The results of that study showed that North Dakota salaries were then running 7 percent behind the market, on average. The plan recommended by the Hay Group was implemented in part, but no funding was allocated in doing so. That has caused compression issues, as new workers are being hired at salary levels to meet the minimum levels of the new pay ranges, which put them on the level with veteran workers in some agencies, whose pay levels were not raised substantially in the years before the Hay Group study.

Ken Purdy Classification and Compensation Manager for North Dakota’s Human Resources Management Services

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The unemployment rate for North Dakota currently sits at

2.7 percent, which is the lowest in the country. There are more jobs available in North Dakota than there are workers available to fill these vacancies.”

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Ken Purdy works as the Classification and Compensation Manager with the State of North Dakota’s Human Resources Management Services. He spoke with United Voices for this issue’s installment of The Public Record, and answered our questions about the current status of the Hay pay recommendations, the challenge of vacancies in state employment and what more can be done to fill open jobs in the public sector.

Read the full interview at our website, www.ndunited.org/news.

Q: What is the current status of Hay Group study? Was it implemented fully, and are their plans to do any further study?

A: The results on the implementation plan for the Hay study – they’re basically all in place. We updated the process of classification of job evaluations according to the Hay methodology and continue to use that to review jobs and as we go forward. The process was basically the new salary structures were implemented in July 2012. And we updated in 2013 and 2014, and will be updating in 2014 further. We’ve just gone through a RFP and receipt proposals to market analysis and market data to update the structure

more precisely against the market. And it will be ongoing the summer. We’ve contracted with a consultant now, which will be providing input to the executive budget to move the structure adjust the structure as needed to match as close as we can to the market.

Q: Where are our state employee salaries in relation to market?

A: Basically, as we implemented, we were

looking at salaries about 92 percent – I believe it was 92 percent of the market point. Through the adjustments I think we’re really only gaining slightly considering movement in the markets and the economy in North Dakota.

ND United Voices

Based on our adjustments, we moved about 2 percent into the range I think, so we’re at about 94 percent of the market point. Three years later, I’m not really sure where our market points truly are in relation to market. Hopefully, we’ve kept some reasonable pace, but we may have dropped even further behind. I don’t anticipate that we’ve done much catching up.

Q: How do state workers’ benefits compare to the market?

A: Well the Hay Study did do some market comparison, and

their initial conclusion was that our benefits were probably slightly above average market, and that’s a market that includes everything from small to large employers. And they said that at that point we were due for an additional 1 percent contribution to the retirement plan. They said that would further balance it.

So it’s a very slight advantage or slight point above the market.

At that point they turned their focus to the pay plan and compensation structure.

I think the oil development has really changed the benefit market because a lot of the large oil companies are providing full family health insurance with premiums paid for the employees. Oftentimes their health insurance includes vision and/or dental coverage, whereas ours is separate and fully employee paid. So among those major employers, I think they offer incredibly strong benefit programs. Our health premium, for 100 percent family premium, is lower than most states percentage of their premium. In other words, if the states, on average, pay about 70 percent of the premium for their family health plans, and that 70 percent figure for those states is higher than are 100-percent premium. So you know that somewhere there’s a trade-off. Either our healthcare is a bit cheaper in North Dakota, which may have contributed in the past, or we’ve done more with deductibles, co-pays, or with exclusions from coverage to ensure that premiums stay as affordable as we can. That is such a complex area that requires a separate study of just that alone to really balance out.

Q: What percentage of state employees are eligible for retirement right now?

A: Our estimate would be right now, whether it’s rule of 85 or

age 65, it’s about 13 percent of our classified workforce, our 7,000 classified employees, are eligible for retirement. Some agencies are significantly higher. We’ve got agencies as high as 28 percent in the Tax Department, 24 percent at Job Service, 20 percent at Parks and Rec, 20 percent at the Public Service Commission, and then a lot of them in the high teens. It’s very significant. ndunited.org

Q: Regarding employee turnover, what is a typical rate among state agencies? Which agencies have the best retention rates? Which have the worst?

A: Our turnover has been fairly consistent and stable. It hasn’t

increased like I kind of thought it would the last couple of years. In 2011, we were at 9.2 percent turnover; in 2012 it was 10.4; and 2013 it was 10.3. That figure, in and of itself, isn’t excessive, but it does result in some spiking of turnover in certain occupations are areas that are the highest. Secretary of State ended up with 14 percent in 2013. Avoiding some small agencies, where one employee is 25 percent of the workforce – Indigent Defense is 28 percent; that’s been tough for them.

Human Services, as big as they are, are at almost 14 percent.

That’s a challenge. Tax Department, with their longevity, are sitting down at around 6½ percent. OMB is down at around 4 percent. They’re doing pretty well. So it really kind of varies.

Job Service is at 9 percent. Insurance Department is at 12 percent. Labor Department is 18 percent. So it’s all over the place, but there are different areas where recruiting is always a challenge.

Q: What can be done to help fill vacancies?

A: Frankly, a lot of the challenges are really based in pay – what

we can offer. People will look at our salary range and say, “Well, if I can get higher, to two-thirds of the way through that range with my experience, then I can come and go to work for them,” and the problem then becomes, we’ve got existing employees with just as much experience, or more, who are very low in our ranges. Seventy-some percent of our employees are below the mid-point or market policy point of the salary ranges. And so we’ve got what we call compression in the bottom half of the range. And so, an agency that’s hiring people, if they’re able to hire somebody at the minimum salary of the range, there haven’t been significant dollars available to move them effectively upward through the range, and a year later, you come to hire another one in that same category, you’ve somebody near the bottom of that range and you don’t have any flexibility in bringing in a new employee. And so, the biggest thing is, number one, keeping our market policy points in the ranges matched to market. And then, secondly, ensuring that their dollars are more than just keeping people in the same place in the range. They’ve got to advance into the range, based on gaining some experience and based on performance.

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STAFF SHORTAGE NDSU United concerned about inequity of pay increases

By Kelly Hagen, NDU Communications

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he importance of a yearly pay raise for any worker in a labor market cannot be understated.

A raise is not just a reflection of your progression as an employee and valued asset of the company you work for. After each year passes, you are that much more experienced, more efficient, more knowledgeable, more valuable to your employer. Your rate of pay should reflect that added value. Also, as time goes by, the cost of living is always increasing. If what you earn from your job is not also regularly increasing at a steady rate, then your income will fall behind very quickly, and you are earning less and less.

This is true in the realm of academia, where competition is fierce for the best and brightest minds to serve as instructors in a university’s faculty, or as the staff that keeps the university functioning. Quality workers are in high demand, particularly in North Dakota, as our state’s economy is flourishing, and everyone is looking to hire the best and the brightest.

“People talk about the wisdom of the market,” said Dr. Bruce Maylath, professor of English at North Dakota State University and president of NDSU United. “When you have a well-functioning, well-regulated market, it sends signals. … We often hear members of the Legislature talk about the wisdom of the market. But there’s a marketplace for labor, too.”

The members of NDSU United are concerned that a large number of staff members in NDSU’s Division of Academic Affairs are being negatively affected by the recent allocation decisions made in regards to the pool of money that was designated to NDSU by the state Legislature, with the intent of granting all public employees a pay raise of 3 percent for this year, with adjustments for considerations of merit. Some staff members within Academic Affairs did not receive the full raise that they had in the past, not due to considerations of merit but to a number of conflicts.

“There’s a division of academic affairs under the Provost – who is the Vice President of Academic Affairs – and they’re the ones who really have to deal the most with merit pay,” Dr. Maylath explained. “Particularly since promotions are often considered part of merit,” as faculty promotions are mandated to be accompanied by a salary increase.

“So a couple of things converged here. One was an unusual number of people went up for promotion the second year (of the biennium), and so there were many more people to award mandatory promotions and salary increases to.” In addition, he said, units like the IT division, or the Office of Equity, Diversity and Global Outreach now come under Academic Affairs, when they didn’t before. “They don’t have any faculty members, so there aren’t faculty promotions. And in the past, when the Legislature approved a percentage increase, well-performing staff members could reasonably expect to get a full increase.”

Before this year’s raises were announced, staff members in these units were not prepared for the shortages in funds available for pay raises that can be caused when there is a spike in promotions and their mandatory pay increases, which is taken out of the lump sum allocated from the Legislature to be used for the recommended pay raises for all public employees.

“They were robbing Peter to pay Paul,” said Dr. Maylath. “They rob these other offices that had never experienced this before. So let’s say clerical staff in this building [Minard Hall, one of NDSU’s oldest academic buildings], some of the ones that have been around the longest may have remembered times when this has happened. People over in the Burdick building or Putnam Hall, where these other offices are, had never heard of this 28

ND United Voices

NDSU United member-at-large Amy Phillips, left, and President Bruce Maylath

before. So it’s not that it can’t be done; there’s nothing illegal. But we do wonder if the legislators recognize that what they probably thought was going to happen – in other words, state employees get this increase – actually may not be happening with a lot of employees. And maybe it’s something that the Legislature needs to address, so that the mandatory faculty increases for promotion do take place, but that the staff employees aren’t penalized inadvertently because of that.”

Rep. Josh Boschee, a first-term legislator representing District 44 in Fargo, said he is concerned to hear that the funds given to higher education for pay increases to all state workers aren’t being equally dispersed. “I think most legislators would be frustrated to hear that their intent of providing public employees a 3 percent salary increase, including staff and faculty at our institutions of higher education, was not being implemented,” Boschee said. “Regardless of academic rank, student support role or operational function, legislators intended for all state employees to have equitable salary increases over the biennium.”

Dr. Maylath worked with Dr. Christina Weber, vice president of NDSU United, and Dr. Amy Phillips, member-at-large, to put together a letter, which was sent to NDSU President Dean Bresciani and Provost Bruce Rafert about the issue. In their letter, they expressed their dismay about the injustice of this decreased pay raise going to this one segment of the staff at NDSU “with no prior warning to the staff, no discussion on campus, and not opportunity for discussions of fairness and equity.”

Also, they point out that “Spreading a salary loss, which benefits a few faculty members, across the breadth of the staff harms morale among the staff, on whom the faculty and students depend.

It is detrimental to the spirit of cooperation among different job categories that is essential to the healthy functioning of our university.” ndunited.org

What Maylath and the members of NDSU United hope that administrators at NDSU, and also the state Legislature, recognize is that offering state workers less and less in exchange for the work they do will come with a price, especially in the current job market in our state. “The state legislators sometimes seem to have the view that state employees don’t have any other options, that somehow we’re required to stay put,” Maylath said. “I think this all goes back to one of the things that (former Lt. Governor) Lloyd Omdahl says regularly, that starting with the Great Depression, there have historically been so many decades where North Dakota had to face deprivations and austerity, that the sudden switch to abundance hasn’t really changed habits, including thinking habits. I’ve seen this for other people too. I see new faculty assuming the buyer’s markets that they experienced as candidates. What the whole state of North Dakota is experiencing right now, for the first time in decades, is a seller’s market. And a lot of people can’t get their head around that.”

The loss of even 1 percent from the intended 3 percent raise for this current year will be felt slightly in the present, but that loss compounds itself every year thereafter, within future salary increases and in contributions to their retirement plan. A short-term fix leads to a long-term detriment, Maylath pointed out.

“And because of that, they’re getting more and more incentive just to leave state employment entirely,” Maylath said. “And we’ve been hearing for several years now, with the oil boom, employees say, ‘Well, the only reason I’m hanging around is for the good health benefits. If the salaries don’t keep up, I’m better off getting a really high-paid job in western North Dakota and then just paying the higher health premium.’ So the calculations all start adding up where it doesn’t make sense to stay with the state.”

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ND United Voices

ROAD TRIP AFFIRMS PRIDE IN MEMBERS OF NORTH DAKOTA UNITED We represent the cream of the crop whether you are an active or retired member

By ND United Retired President Gloria Lokken

The freedom to travel is one of the many privileges retirement allows, and I have to say, my husband and I have certainly enjoyed our travels. We just returned from an over 4,000 mile road trip visiting friends and relatives from Boise, Idaho to Escondido, California. Although we had visited all 50 states at previous times, we always find a new route and more exciting and beautiful experiences. A common theme of this trip for us was reading about and watching TV stories, seeing and talking to folks who were making a difference in the lives of others.

On the road you see the public employees doing the never ending road construction and maintenance to ensure folks like us can reach their destinations. They aren’t leaning on their shovels, or lounging on their machines; they are putting their lives in danger by doing their jobs as the traffic speeds by. On the high mountain passes snow plows clear the way, and graders work to clear rocks and debris for the traveler’s safety.

During the four weeks, in the eight states we traveled through, we read or saw stories about social workers who intervened in situations when someone was endangered or just needed a helping hand. We experienced the excellent help of public employees as we visited state capitols, museums and public parks, which were welcoming, full of displays and compelling information, and very well maintained. We saw students and staff engaged in serious conversation, laughing, enjoying snacks or just hanging out on beautiful campuses.

Of course, schools were still in full swing. We saw joyous students on field trips, students enjoying nourishing breakfasts and afterschool treats provided by their food staff. We witnessed feature stories on teachers and para-professionals working with students.

We spotted many, many children greeting their bus driver as they were picked up for their ride to school. The schools we visited were very well maintained. They were shiny and clean; we were welcomed by a friendly, helpful secretary. Sadly, we experienced many schools having to evacuate due to approaching fires when we visited San Diego County, but all evacuation was accomplished in a safe, orderly manner by well-prepared staff.

In all these situations, we noticed or learned of retired folks involved in important endeavors--people helping people. In retirement we have the privilege of additional time to give back in ways that enrich our lives and the lives of others. What a blessing! This road trip affirmed our pride in what the members of North Dakota United (NDU) represent. In every state public employees are doing their jobs to make life better for their citizens.

We represent the cream of the crop whether you are an active or retired member.

A huge thank you to our new retired members and a heartfelt invitation to YOU! Join now if you haven’t taken the opportunity yet. Read the membership form and sign up. We need you!

YES, SIGN ME UP NOW IN NDU/NEA/AFT-RETIRED Complete and mail with your check today, to NDU-Retired, 301 N 4th St, Bismarck, ND 58501-4020 Name: _______________________________________Social Security Number: __________________ Address: ___________________________________________________________________________ City: _________________________________________ State: ______________ Zip: ______________ Phone: ______________________________E-mail:_________________________________________ Local Association: ____________________________Signature_______________________Date______ _______ I wish to join as Annual Retired and pay $52 per year. Mail this form and your check to

NDU, 301 N 4th Street, Bismarck, ND 58501-4020. (NDU membership year is from Sept. 1 to August 31.) _______ I wish to pay a one-time payment of $412 for Lifetime Retired. Expected Date of Retirement ___________ (month/year) _______ I wish to pay one payment of $52 and have 9 (nine) electronic transfers of $40 from my bank account for Lifetime Retired. ndunited.org

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ND United Voices