East Providence in national spotlight

Motion against School Committee passes NEA Representative Assembly

    On July 6, delegates to the NEA Representative Assembly, meeting in San Diego, overwhelmingly passed a new business item addressing the actions of the East Providence School Committee. East Providence Education Association President Val Lawson, speaking on behalf of the NEARI delegation, introduced the motion before the 10,000 attendees.

    The motion stated, “That the NEA Representative Assembly goes on record in support of preserving the collective bargaining rights of all its members. 

    Further, that NEA notify the East Providence, RI, School Committee that its unilateral imposition of salary and benefit cuts is unfair, unacceptable, and antithetical to collective bargaining.”

    In speaking to the motion, Lawson said, “The East Providence School Committee, in conjunction with the City Council, carefully designed a plan to undermine the collective bargaining process in East Providence and ultimately in the state of Rhode Island. Its plan could have national ramifications if successful.

    “We believe the actions of the Committee are contrary to Rhode Island law and court decisions. The law firm that orchestrated this action has been recently hired by another school committee to implement the same strategy with another NEARI local.”

    Lawson asked the NEA members present to support the new business item and go on record as taking action to preserve collective bargaining in East Providence and Rhode Island.

    She concluded, “I would like to thank NEA for its help throughout this ordeal, especially NEA Executive Director John Wilson and NEARI President Larry Purtill, who personally and professionally has been instrumental in our fight to preserve collective bargaining in our local and for the state.”