23. ASSOCIATION RIGHTS

23.1 Exclusivity of Association Rights

23.1.1 All rights granted in this section (Section 23, Association Rights) shall apply only to the Hillsborough Classroom Teachers Association as the exclusive bargaining agent for ESP employees. Any such rights or privileges shall not be granted to any other association, union, group or individual.

23.2 H.C.T.A. Activities

23.2.1 The Association shall be permitted the use of work sites without cost for the purpose of conducting meetings. The Association shall clear the scheduling of such meetings with the building administrator/supervisor.

23.2.2 The Association and its several building units shall be provided with bulletin board space at each work site for the purpose of posting notices and other related items. Site selection, within ESP access areas, shall be the prerogative of the Association Representative.

23.2.3 The Association will have the right to provide Association material to ESP employees. Copies of all generally distributed materials provided to ESP employees shall normally be provided to the appropriate administrator.

23.2.4 Authorized representatives of the Association will assume responsibility for posting or distributing material for the Association during non-work time.

23.2.5 The Association ESP representative shall have the right to make known the time, place, and subject of the Association meetings.

23.2.6 The Association shall be provided with school mail service for the distribution of the Association's newspaper and also for the purpose of contract ratification.

23.2.7 The Association shall be afforded access to work location mailboxes for the purpose of distributing Association material.

23.2.8 Full-time ESP employees shall be allowed a maximum of one meeting per month during the work day as long as the meeting does not occur during the student day. Half-time ESP employees may meet at the completion of their work day. Double session schools shall be allowed one meeting per session. Such meetings shall not exceed sixty minutes during the work day.

23.2.9 A maximum of two ESP employees, during any school year, shall be allowed to take one full year of restricted leave to work for the Association on a full-time basis. Said leave shall be renewable for one additional year.

23.2.10 The President of the Hillsborough Classroom Teachers Association, who is also an employee of the Board, shall be given full-time duty by the Board different from his/her normal ESP duties and from his/her normal location of duty. This duty shall be for the purpose of performing other educational and related services and for attending meetings related to said services. This duty shall be considered by the Board as being equal to ESP duties.

23.2.11 The individual performing this duty shall continue to be a continuous employee of the Board for all purposes and shall not be considered as being on leave when performing this duty. This duty assignment shall be a regularly established position of the Board and shall have continuous existence. The employee shall be compensated at the employee's same rate of pay as if he/she was performing full-time ESP duties. The Association shall inform the Board of the date of the President's term of office.

23.3 Payroll Deduction

23.3.1 The Board agrees to deduct from ESP employees' salaries an amount to cover dues for the Association, as the ESP employees individually and voluntarily authorize the Board to deduct and to transmit the amount so authorized to the office of the Association. ESP employees may individually and voluntarily authorize the Board and the Association to discontinue such deductions with a thirty day notice.

23.4 Convention

23.4.1 The Board shall grant Association members a maximum of fifty days of professional leave per year for the purpose of attending the Association's annual convention in accordance with the following:

a. No more than two clerical delegates per work site/department, as determined by the Division of Human Resources, shall attend the convention.

b. Up to sixteen ESP Association members shall receive two days professional leave.

c. Other ESP delegates of the Association shall receive one day professional leave.

d. The Association shall provide a list of delegates to the Division of Human Resources no later than one week prior to the professional leave dates.

23.5 Bargaining Team

23.5.1 ESP bargaining team members shall be provided with released time from their duties when bargaining occurs during the workday.

23.6 Administrative Review

23.6.1 The Association may request an administrative review with the appropriate county-level administrator through the Director of Employee Relations when the Association has a concern which it feels affects the welfare of the ESP employees and/or the system; the use of this procedure does not negate the use of other remedies in the contract.

23.7 Legislative/Professional Days

23.7.1 The Association may request leave for members to engage in legislative or professional activity up to the cumulative Association total of 60 days per year. Such leave shall be granted by the Board and said members will be considered to be on paid professional leave.

23.8 Membership Solicitation

23.8.1 The Association shall have the right to form, organize and solicit membership as the exclusive bargaining agent certified to represent all employees within the bargaining units at any duty-free time during the workday provided solicitation does not interfere with the official duties of employees and the operation of schools.

23.9 Access

23.9.1 The Association shall be afforded access to all work sites and grounds, including work location parking lots. The Association representative shall notify the building administrator when reporting to a work site.