PPTA Representation Contract, Fair?
When you join the PPTA and pay your fees direct from your salary an implied contract exists that should not require any further refinement. All the services of the union should be available to you without further fee or additional terms and conditions. That PPTA should require you to sign a further contract should you find yourself in competency or disciplinary procedures is surprising but that those conditions should be so restrictive of the PPTA member defies belief. This is very much a case of the tail wagging the dog, the Member carrying all the risk and the NZPPTA in control. Not a very secure position for the person being represented. All would be fine if the PPTA showed they had the fortitude to see these confrontations through. Unfortunately that has not been the experience of my informants.
The contract gives all the power to the PPTA and requires that the member use them as their sole representative. It makes no undertaking that the PPTA will provide any measurable level of support or even see the crisis through (more on this in the next Blog). In fact it doesn’t even say that the member will be kept informed of their actions or even be involved with being able to give direction. You can view a copy of this contract at http://ppta.blogtown.co.nz/files/2011/06/PPTA-Authorisation-Contract.pdf I would strongly recommend any Teacher needing support get legal advice on this agreement before accepting the PPTA’s assistance on those terms. Not much of a deal when the member will probably find themselves up against the Principal (most likely a PPTA member and possibly better connected), The STA (School Trustees Association), The Employers Association, The BOT’s Lawyers and if they fight back you can also probably also add the PPTA and SPANZ if the Principal is a member. A very stacked deck in favour of the senior management.
Next Blog Post “Did you know your senior management are entitled to the protection and membership of the PPTA”
August 1, 2011@ 8:09 pm
I welcome your blog. I am the wife of a secondary teacher. We are paying legal fees (after my husband has been paying union fees for 15 years) because PPTA failed him. We found that his PPTA rep acted very much with a foot in both camps and when push came to shove the PPTA seemed to side with management despite my husband’s insistence of what he wanted PPTA to advocate on his behalf. We sought legal advice before PPTA sent us a copy of their representation contract and were appalled at the differences in attitudes. I am thankful everyday that we did not sign PPTA’s contract. We felt validated by the lawyer and confident to move forward to resolve issues in a way that was fair. As a wife I am angered at the actions of PPTA. We are a one income family and have had to penny pinch to save my husband’s career knowing that management were blatantly in the wrong all along. I rang PPTA to find out what their complaints process is only to find that they do not have one and they seemed surprised by the question. I had no idea that senior management could belong to the same union as teachers until I read your blog and now the actions of the PPTA in my husbands case make sense. It is farcical. When I think of all the money he has poured into funding them and admittedly for some good cause in bargaining good working conditions. But what good are these conditions teachers have fought for if the PPTA cannot fight to keep them when their teacher’s need them the most?
August 8, 2011@ 8:16 am
get in touch with me in the contact us area i would really like to talk to you