As a member of a CTA bargaining unit, you are assured of fair representation by your local association, ATA. ATA’s representation of its members comes in many forms, including bargaining your salary, benefits, and working conditions, representing your interests at the bargaining table, enforcing your rights under the parties’ collective bargaining agreement through grievances and discussions with administration, and organizing around your issues when bargaining and grievances are insufficient.
In addition to representation from ATA you are also represented by CTA. If your employment rights under state and federal laws are violated, CTA may provide its dues-paying CTA members an attorney through the CTA Group Legal Services Program (GLSP) under certain circumstances. GLSP law firm attorneys are private practice attorneys who provide legal services to CTA dues-paying members.
Issues which may be covered are:
Work-Related Matters: Such as dismissals, demotions, promotions, retaliations/union activities, retirement, CTC proceedings and problems with certifications, Ed Code violations, probationary non-reelections, reduction-in-force proceedings, salary, temporary teacher dismissal, tenure, unemployment insurance, and working conditions.
Work-Related Criminal Cases: Such as allegations of assault, child abuse, criminal neglect, DUI, failure to report child abuse, illegal substance sale or use, misuse of school funds, sexual misconduct, and theft.
The amount covered and the hours provided to you by your legal counsel is dependent on many factors, including type and strength of case and assessments by CTA Legal and the GLS attorney assigned to your case. CTA pays your legal counsel up to a certain amount but can, under certain circumstances, pay more than the initial costs.
To access this service:
In this sense, access to legal services is like car insurance, you cannot buy car insurance after an accident occurs and expect to be covered. Any lapse in membership will make you lose the right to GLS services.
You must contact me, ATA's Executive Director (CTA Staff), Liz Pinkava. I will discuss the issue with you, assess the case, and if appropriate, assign legal counsel, and provide you with documents to send to CTA Legal for approval and to the GLS attorney.
If you have Non-Work-Related Matters such as wills and family matters, CTA offers half an hour of legal services and subsequent services at a reduced rate for our dues-paying members. If you need these services, you can contact the ATA office and get the number of the law office that provides this service. You will have to provide the attorney with your CTA Membership #.
For Workers' Compensation Claims, please reach out to me. I will refer you to a CTA-recommended workers' compensation attorney who specializes in public school workers' compensation issues. However, workers’ compensation attorneys are paid by you (although, if there is a dispute between you and AUSD as to your workplace injury and/or leave rights, we may also provide you with a GLS attorney).
If you haven't already done so, please remember to list your physician of choice for workers' compensation purposes with Risk Management. Risk Management has the forms you need to fill out.
As always, please reach out to me if you have any questions.
Liz Pinkava
Executive Director
EPinkava@cta.org
