Affiliate - A local union that is chartered with a state and national union or a state union that is chartered with a national union (example: Seattle Education is an affiliate of the Washington Education Association and the National Education Association). Other terms commonly used are local, chapter, and council.
Arbitration - A local union that is chartered with a state and national union or a state union that is chartered with a national union (example: Seattle Education is an affiliate of the Washington Education Association and the National Education Association). Other terms commonly used are local, chapter, and council. A process for resolving disputes or bargaining impasses where an outside, neutral arbitrator determines if there was a violation of the collective bargaining agreement (grievance arbitration) or decides the outcome of contract issues that were not settled at the bargaining table (interest arbitration).
Aspiring Educators - College and/or University student members of the Association
Association/Union - A group of employees (in the IEA, education employees) who unite and have legal rights to form a democratic group that advocates for better conditions at their workplace on behalf of themselves and others. NEA comprises many state and local level unions (or associations).
Association/Building Representative (AR) - A union member who serves as a leader at the building or campus level. An AR engages new members, organizes colleagues for collective actions, and may represent members in discussions or grievances with management. The AR is the bridge between a work site and the larger local. This role is sometimes referred to as a steward.
AFT - American Federation of Teachers Arbitration
Bargaining for the Common Good - An innovative bargaining and organizing strategy where unions use collective bargaining campaigns or other forms of advocacy as an opportunity to organize local stakeholders around a set of bold demands that broaden the scope of traditional collective bargaining to benefit not just the bargaining unit, but the community as well.
Bargaining Rights - The legal authority of a union to negotiate a collective bargaining agreement. The level of bargaining rights that unionized workers have is determined by a collective bargaining law in states that have one. Those rights vary from state to state.
Bargaining Team - A group of union leaders and members who are appointed or elected to serve as the representatives of the union for the purposes of collective bargaining.
Bargaining Unit - A group of employees with a common interest who are recognized as part of a union. In states where collective bargaining is permitted, the bargaining unit would consist of union employees, both members and nonmembers, who are covered by a collective bargaining agreement.
BOD - Board of Directors
CAPE - Collaborative Assistance for Professional Educators Caucus Meeting or group of members organized to further a special interest or cause (ex. Women & Minorities Caucus, ESP Caucus)
CBA - Collective Bargaining Agreement
CBC - Collective Bargaining Council
CF - The IEA Children's Fund, a 50l(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, accepts donations from members and the general public. Requests are made by IEA Members; the Fund grants requests for the purchase of shoes, winter coats, groceries, eye glasses, dental work, medicine, and more.
Collective Action: A group of people taking some form of action together to achieve a common purpose or demand.
Collective Bargaining - An exchange of ideas between unions and management who must negotiate in good faith over the terms and conditions of employment such as salary, benefits, and working conditions. Collective bargaining can also be used to secure student-centered demands like a full-time nurse in every school, recess, or fewer standardized tests. (See Bargaining for the Common Good.)
Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA or Contract) - The resulting legal, binding agreement that codifies the language that was agreed upon in collective bargaining. It becomes effective after union members ratify the tentative agreement.
Collective Bargaining Statute - In the public sector, collective bargaining statutes provide the legal framework for collective bargaining in each state (or at the federal level). It provides employees and unions the right to organize and negotiate the terms and conditions of employment and requires the employer to enter into a written agreement. A collective bargaining statute may note whether strikes are permitted or prohibited.
CTL - Center for Teaching & Learning (sponsors PD classes)
Delegate Assembly (or DA) - The IEA annual meeting where elected delegates vote to decide the policy, priorities, and budget of the union. This may also be called representative assembly and/or a convention in some unions.
Duty of Fair Representation (DFR) - In states with a collective bargaining statute, it is the legal responsibility of the union (or association) to represent all members of the bargaining unit in collective bargaining and grievances, not just its dues paying members.
EEL - Educators Employment Liability
EFT - "Electronic Funds Transfer"/ Also called Auto Pay (formerly eDues) and refers to EFT method of paying membership dues. Also EasyPay refers to EFT campaign to raise funds for IEA PACE.
EIOC - Eastern Idaho Organizing Center (IEA Regions 4, 5 and 6)
EMBERS - Provides PD, peer mentoring, and leadership opportunities to help late-career educators remain engaged and motivated in their final years in the classroom.
ESP - Education Support Professional (classified members)
ETS - Educational Testing Service
Exclusive Representation - When a group of employees organize for the purposes of collective bargaining, they elect or authorize a union to represent them in contract negotiations, grievances, and other employee and labor relations matters. For an association to become the exclusive representative, it must be certified by the labor board and/or formally recognized by the employer.
FMCS - Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service
FMLA - Family Medical Leave Act
FTE - Full Time Equivalent
FYMP - Future Year Membership Processing
GEMs - Growing Engaged Members
GOTV - Get out the vote
GR - Government Relations
GR/PACE - Government Relations/Political Action Committee for Education
Grievance - Generally, a violation of the collective bargaining agreement where a formal written complaint is filed with the employer by the grievant (employee or association). Grievance procedures are negotiated and included in the collective bargaining agreement. If unable to resolve at an early step in the process, the dispute is typically resolved in binding arbitration.
HCR - Human & Civil Rights
IASA - Idaho Association of School Administrators
IASBO - Idaho Association of School Business Officials
Impasse - A stalemate in collective bargaining negotiations typically triggers a mandatory dispute resolution or impasse procedure. Impasse procedures vary by state, but they usually start with mediation where a state or federal mediator is brought into negotiations to attempt to broker a deal on the unresolved issues. If mediation does not result in an agreement, one or more of the following impasse procedures may be in effect: fact finding (where an outside, neutral party makes recommendations on contract issues that neither side must accept); interest arbitration (see arbitration); and a strike (see strike).
IBE - Idaho Businesses for Education
IDEA - Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
IEA - Idaho Education Association
IEASO - Idaho Education Association Staff Organization
IEP - Individualized Education Plan
IGNITE - Idaho's Growing Network of Inspired & Thriving Educators
ISBA - Idaho School Boards Association
Labor Board/Labor Commission - Impartial government agency responsible for administering and enforcing the collective bargaining law. Often referred to as a Public Employee Relations Board, or PERB, the labor board/commission conducts union representation elections, oversees and administers bargaining impasse procedures, and decides on unfair labor practices and other proceedings under the bargaining law.
Labor-Management Collaboration - Structures and processes for joint problem solving and decision making. Associations and employers may use interest-based bargaining for contract negotiations and collaborative approaches for meet-and-confer processes where bargaining does not take place. They may use interest-based processes to guide labor-management committees.
LEA - Local Education Association
LJS - Leaders for Just Schools
LTD - Long Term Disability
LUP - Local Union President or Local Unit (Association) President
MBC - Member Benefits Corporation (may also be listed IEA-MBC)
Meet and Confer - In a state where an employer is not legally required to collectively bargain with a union and chooses not to, they may discuss issues and solicit input. Memorandum of Understanding (MOU): Ratification: A signed agreement that can be either a stand-alone agreement or a supplement to the existing collective bargaining agreement. Such an agreement can also be referred to as a memorandum of agreement (MOA).
Mini-DA - Regional meetings to prepare delegates for IEA's annual Delegate Assembly
MLTP - Minority Leadership Training Program
New Business Item (NBI) - NBIs address emerging concerns, opportunities for improvement, or new projects that require the union’s attention. NBIs should aim to enhance the union’s operations, advocate for members’ interests or help the union adapt to changing circumstances. Any member may propose an NBI, but must secure the support of 25 other IEA members (with signatures). Locals, region councils or the IEA Board of Directors can also propose NBIs. Each proposal is debated and voted on at Delegate Assembly.
NCSEA - NEA's National Council of State Education Associations
NCUEA - NEA's National Council of Urban Education Associations
National Education Association (NEA) - IEA's parent organization
NEAFCPE - National Education Association Fund for Children and Public Education
NEA-RA - National Education Association Representative Assembly. See Representative Assembly.
NIEARC - North Idaho Education Association Retired Chapter
NOC - Northern Organizing Center (IEA Regions 1 and 2)
NWPE - Northwest Professional Educator's Association
PACE - IEA's Political Action Committee for Education
PCB - Policy, Constitution, and Bylaws
PD - Professional Development
PERC - Public Employee Retirement Coalition
PERSI - Public Employee Retirement System of Idaho
PSC - Professional Standards Commission
Representative Assembly (RA): The NEA annual meeting where elected delegates vote to decide the policy, priorities, and budget of the union. This may also be called a convention in some unions.
Ratification - The process of a union being formally certified, or recognized, as the representative of an employee bargaining unit. In states with statutes, typically the employer can either choose to voluntarily recognize the union when a significant amount of interest to establish a union is shown by the employees or, the more common process, a secret-ballot election is held. In nonstatute states, the employer must voluntarily recognize the union.
Right to Work - Laws that prohibit unions from negotiating contract provisions that require all employees covered by a collective bargaining agreement to join or pay for the cost of union representation, often called agency fees. In 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Janus vs AFSCME that agency fee provisions were unconstitutional for public sector employees.
RESET6 - Retired Educators Supporting Education and Teachers, Region 6
RTI - Response to Intervention
SBOE / SBE - State Board of Education
Scope of Bargaining - Defined by statute, case law, or precedence in states where a collective bargaining law exists. Subjects of bargaining are designated as:
- Mandatory: issues that both parties are legally obligated to negotiate in good faith;
- Permissive: issues that can be brought to the bargaining table by either party but that neither party is legally obligated to negotiate; and
- Prohibited: issues that cannot legally be negotiated or included in a collective bargaining agreement and are not legally enforceable by law.
SDE - State Department of Education
Summer Institute (SI) - IEA's annual professional development conference hosted by the Center for Teaching and Learning.
SLC - Student Leadership Conference
Strike - An authorized employee work stoppage, most frequently associated with local collective bargaining, over economic items and/or other contract provisions. Strikes sometimes occur in protest of unfair labor practices.
Strike Authorization - A process where local association members vote to approve a strike or to give the bargaining team the authority to call a strike. Page
SPARKS - IEA Retreat for early career educators (0-5 years)
SWEA-R - Southwest Education Association - Retired
Tentative Agreement (TA) - An agreement reached by the union and employer bargaining teams. Both sides must ratify the TA before it can become effective. The terms of the existing collective bargaining agreement that are not affected by the TA remain in full force and effect.
The Norther Tier (TNT) - A coalition of six NEA small affiliate states which includes Alaska, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming.
Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) - A violation of the collective bargaining statute. A bargaining law gives employees the right to join a union and engage in union activities without fear of retaliation for doing so. It also requires unions and employers to bargain in good faith. ULPs are filed with the labor board, which determines if rights were violated or if duties and obligations were not met.
Union - See association/union.
UniServ Director (also Region Director) - Term used for a staff person who supports the state and local union and individual union members through varying roles and responsibilities such as collective bargaining, contract enforcement, member representation and upholding employee rights, member organizing, and political action. Your UniServ (Region) Director is your first line of defense should an incident occur, that might threaten your reputation, certification, or even your livelihood. This type of staff position is also commonly referred to as a labor relations consultant or field/business representative.
Western Region Organizing Center or WeROC - IEA Regions 3, 7, 8 and 9)
UEP - United Education Profession
YRO - Year-Round Organizing
