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Union seeks explicit contract language to allow use of district email and public‑address systems for association notices
Summary
The Ithaca Teachers Association proposed CBA language to permit use of district email for association business and to allow building public‑address announcements outside instructional hours; parties agreed to review district policy and propose clarifying restrictions.
The Ithaca Teachers Association proposed contract language that would permit the association use of district email for communicating association business and would permit use of building public‑address systems during non‑instructional hours to announce meetings.
Union negotiator David read the email proposal in full at the table: “The district will permit the association the use of district email for the purposes of communicating association business, inter member union communications, or for the purpose of delivering news or communications from our affiliated associations, NYSET, NEA, or AFT,” he said.
District representatives and union negotiators discussed limits and guardrails. Board members asked whether advocacy messages such as urging a vote down of a budget would be permissible; negotiators agreed the parties should draft language over the following week to clarify restrictions and keep communications consistent with district communication protocol. One participant said communications should be clear that district email is subject to FOIL requests and could be read by the district.
On the public‑address proposal, the union presented a short draft allowing the use of building PA systems “during non instructional hours for the purpose of announcing association meetings.” The union clarified announcements would run before or after school so as not to interrupt instruction.
Next steps: both proposals were left in joint revision. Union negotiators said they would review board policy and return with tightened language that explicitly addresses permissible advocacy, FOIL transparency and any needed restrictions.
Why it matters: the proposed changes would formalize whether and how teachers’ district accounts and school PA systems can carry union information; the limits discussed (non‑instructional hours, adherence to board policy, FOIL transparency) are central to implementation and legal compliance.
No formal district vote was recorded in the transcript on either matter; parties agreed to continue revisions and return with language for the next session.
