PECCA UPDATES 1/19/23
PECCA Process—Updates from MNEA—January 19, 2023
What is PECCA?:
PECCA is the Professional Educators Collaborative Conferencing Act of 2011. The law repealed the collective bargaining law and replaced it with what is now know as “collaborative conferencing.” Collaborative conferencing is interest-based bargaining, and the resulting contract is known as a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). Upon completion, the MOU is good for three (3) years). Each year, MNEA and MNPS are allowed five (5) reopeners each to discuss and update prior to the expiration of the current MOU.
Every three (3) years, MNEA must go through a recognition process to ensure that we remain the exclusive bargaining agent for certified employees under PECCA. We will begin this process this summer (Summer 2023). The law requires the collection of signatures on a petition which must be submitted to the MNPS school board before employees can vote to engage in collaborative conferencing. In other words, there are two essential components to gaining the necessary recognition as required by law: 1) petition and 2) election/vote.
Updates from the Table:
Teacher of the Year Selection MNEA and MNPS have tentatively agreed to update the Teacher of the Year selection process. The language is based on member feedback.
Retention CommitteeMNEA and MNPS have tentatively agreed to increase the number of person(s) on the committee from four (4) to five (5) for each party.
Education LeaveMNEA and MNPS have tentatively agreed to revoke charter leave from the MOU and clarified that education leave will only be granted full-time (no part-time leave).
Bereavement LeaveMNEA and MNPS have agreed to make a budgetary request for funding for bereavement leave in the 2023-2024 budget.
Conferencing Language Requiring FundingMNEA and MNPS have tentatively agreed that should any negotiated language require funding and the funding is either less than needed or the funding is denied, both parties will immediately return to the table to renegotiate the language within the funding available and that this will not count as a reopener for either party.
Planning Time on Non-Instructional Days MNPS and MNEA have tentatively agreed that on non-instructional days, planning time must be allotted in at least sixty (60) minute increments.
In Lieu of Sub Pay (ILOS) MNPS and MNEA have tentatively agreed to clarifying current ILOS language in the MOU to include:
District sharing information before the first instructional day on the process for getting ILOS pay.
Upon receiving documentation, employee should receive pay within two (2) pay periods.
National Board--Social Worker Stipend MNEA and MNPS have tentatively agreed that school social workers who have obtained the Licensed Clinical Social Worker license will be eligible for the National Board stipend as outlined in the MOU.
Stay tuned for other updates!