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UniServ: What is it?
The National Education Association and the Virginia Education Association work together to provide services and assistance to Association members through the UniServ program. VEA has 26 regional offices so that the Association’s UniServ staff are always close at hand. Each office has one or more UniServ Directors – professionals trained to assist members and local association leaders. What do I do if I have a grievance?
First of all, what is a grievance? In legal terms, a "grievance" is a complaint or dispute by a teacher relating to his or her employment including, but not necessarily limited to: (i) disciplinary action including dismissal or placing on probation; (ii) the application or interpretation of: (a) personnel policies, (b) procedures, (c) rules and regulations, (d) ordinances and (e) statutes; (iii) acts of reprisal against a teacher for filing or processing a grievance, participating as a witness in any step, meeting or hearing relating to a grievance, or serving as a member of a fact-finding panel; and (iv) complaints of discrimination on the basis of race, color, creed, political affiliation, handicap, age, national origin or sex. Each school board shall have the exclusive right to manage the affairs and operations of the school division. Accordingly, the term "grievance" shall not include a complaint or dispute by a teacher relating to (i) establishment and revision of wages or salaries, position classifications or general benefits, (ii) suspension of a teacher or nonrenewal of the contract of a teacher who has not achieved continuing contract status, (iii) the establishment or contents of ordinances, statutes or personnel policies, procedures, rules and regulations, (iv) failure to promote, (v) discharge, layoff or suspension from duties because of decrease in enrollment, decrease in enrollment or abolition of a particular subject or insufficient funding, (vi) hiring, transfer, assignment and retention of teachers within the school division, (vii) suspension from duties in emergencies, or (viii) the methods, means and personnel by which the school division's operations are to be carried on. Ok, I think I have a grievance...so now what? Contact your UniServ director immediately! Missy Alexander malexander@veanea.org 1-800-323-2166 If you would like to know more about the grievance procedures, go to the Virginia General Assembly Legislative Information System. Other Legal Questions? Go Here! http://www.veanea.org/legal-services/legal-questions/archive.html VEA Attorney Dena Rosenkrantz has spent years answering tough legal and job-rights questions posed by members. Read her responses to frequently-asked questions and thorny dilemmas at the VEA’s “Got a question? We have answers” section. |
CCPS Representative - Missy Alexander
malexander@veanea.org Mountain View UniServ (District Q) 1127 International Dr. Fredericksburg, VA 22406 (540) 752-1901 or 1-800-323-2166 (Fax#: 540-752-1905) Liability protection and legal assistance are very important to Association members. Most member issues are handled by UniServ Directors and don't require an attorney. But if you do need legal services, your UniServ Director is your contact. About half of Association members dues go to fund the UniServ program either directly or in the form of training, resources and support for UniServ staff. |
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