UNITY SLATE

Experience, Leadership, Activism

Unity Slate : About Us

Stand Strong with the UNITY SLATE

A United Voice

Unity Slate : Welcome

Get in Touch

Joshua M. Hall

President

J. Edward Gutierrez

1st Vice President

Spiridoula Sanchez

2nd Vice President

John LaPlante

3rd Vice President

Unity Slate : Members

Verna Bernard-Jones

Vice President Non-Teaching Personnel

Michael Casinghino

Secretary

Eliasin Robles

Treasurer

Lisa Montelli

Vice President of Special Projects

Unity Slate : Members

Jacqueline Ryan

BHS Area Coordinator

Susan Frazer

HPHS Area Coordinator

Latoya Martindale

WHS Area Coordinator

Unity Slate

Experience, Leadership, Activism

Unity Slate : Members

WHERE WE STAND...

Protect Seniority
Negotiate Fair Contracts
Ensure that all schools have an active Building Rep, Union School Committee, and Discipline Committee
Provide Union sponsored professional development by HFT Members for HFT Members

Engage our Members through continuous communication
Advocate for our Members
Increase awareness of contract and union rights
Operate the Union in a fiscally responsible way
Engage the Community
Support all HFT members who face unique challenges

WE STAND WITH YOU

Unity Slate : Campaigns

Protect Seniority

2011: Prevailed in arbitration to maintain and protect seniority
First Vice President Joshua Hall was a key witness in the proceedings
Experience matters
Senior teachers play a role in helping and mentoring the younger generation of teachers.

WE STAND WITH YOU

Unity Slate : Campaigns

Negotiate Fair Contracts

Maintained health insurance plan with Blue Cross/Blue Shield which allowed our members to remain with their same doctor.
Protected Prep Time
Protected salary lanes of Masters +30 and Masters +60
Maintained the sick bank to assist members battling long term illnesses. Over 100 members have accessed this benefit.
Prevented massive layoffs in 2008 and 2011 in which there were severe budget cuts.
Maintained sick time of 20 days per year.
Continuously fight for fair contracts in these tough financial times.

WE STAND WITH YOU

Unity Slate : Campaigns

Ensure that all schools have an active Building Rep, Union School Committee and Discipline Committee

Work with Building Reps, Union School Committees and Discipline Committees to provide guidance.
Annual Building Rep Forum
Monthly Building Rep Meeting
Sit in on Union School and Discipline Committee Meetings
Bring Issues raised by Union School Committees and Discipline Committees to the Superintendent Monthly Meetings
Ensure that all schools have an effective Union School Committee

WE STAND WITH YOU

Unity Slate : Campaigns

Provide Union Sponsored Professional Development for Members by Members

HFT members attended training sessions in Washington, D.C.
HFT members conduct workshops: Writing SLOs, Reading Comprehension: Vocabulary, Instructional Strategies, Beginning Reading Instruction, Managing Behavior in School Communities, and Reciprocal Teaching
New Teacher Induction

WE STAND WITH YOU

Unity Slate : Campaigns

Engage Members through Continuous Communication

Union officers hold monthly Building Rep meetings. At meetings information is shared and the Reps. take that info back to their schools to share with their colleagues to keep the members in the loop of what is going on.
Frequent email correspondence to membership

WE STAND WITH YOU

Unity Slate : Campaigns

Advocate for our Members

Experienced in advocating for members
Represented over 200 HFT members at Pre-Disciplinary hearings related to D.C.F cases.
Guided members through the evaluation process.
Advocated for members to ensure they received a fair evaluation
Represented members at grievance hearings and arbitration cases.
Supported schools and provided guidance with a “Vote of No Confidence” against their administrator
Experienced Union officers’ step in after issues are not resolved at the school level.

WE STAND WITH YOU

Unity Slate : Campaigns

Increase Awareness of Contract and Union Rights

An annual Building Rep Forum is held over the summer to discuss contract and union rights. The Building Reps take this information and share it with their colleagues at their respective schools.

WE STAND WITH YOU

Unity Slate : Campaigns

Operate the Union in a Fiscally Responsible way

For the last 12 years, our Certified Public Accountants have presented at our General Membership meeting.
Their presentations showed that the union is being fiscally responsible with the money from the union dues.

WE STAND WITH YOU

Unity Slate : Campaigns

Engage the Community

Hands on Hartford: A social service nonprofit organization that serves Hartford’s neediest residents in the areas of food, housing, and health. Participated in the Nutritional Backpack Program
Family Life Education: Nonprofit organization dedicated to the equity, education and empowerment of disenfranchised women, children and families in the greater Hartford area. Supported fundraiser to benefit luncheon, “The Power of Women: Overcoming and Creating World Change”
Sponsored Little League teams in Hartford
Donate money to the Science Center on a monthly basis which ensures free bus transportation for field trips for Hartford Public Schools.
Donate money to Hartford YMCA which allows free swim lessons for Hartford students
Urban League of Greater Hartford: Supported the Annual Back-to-School Backpack Giveaway and Community Day
Book distribution for new teacher
Advocating for community concerns at Board of Education

WE STAND WITH YOU

Unity Slate : Campaigns

Support ALL HFT Members for face unique challenges

Representing members at the school and district level.
Providing the proper legal representation when necessary.
Always available to listen, advice, and support members

WE STAND WITH YOU

Unity Slate : Campaigns

Contact UNITY SLATE

hartfordunityslate@gmail.com

Unity Slate : Contact

UNITY SLATE

Stand Strong with the UNITY SLATE

Joshua M. Hall

J. Edward Gutierrez

Spiridoula Sanchez

John LaPlante

Verna Bernard-Jones

Michael Casinghino

Eliasin Robles

Lisa Montelli

Jacqueline Ryan

Susan Frazer

Latoya Martindale

Unity Slate

WHERE WE STAND...

Protect Seniority

Negotiate Fair Contracts

Ensure that all schools have an active Building Rep, Union School Committee, and Discipline Committee

Provide Union sponsored professional development by HFT Members for HFT Members

Engage our Members through continuous communication

Advocate for our Members

Increase awareness of contract and union rights

Operate the Union in a fiscally responsible way

Engage the Community

Support all HFT members who face unique challenges

​

​

Protect Seniority

2011: Prevailed in arbitration to maintain and protect seniority

First Vice President Joshua Hall was a key witness in the proceedings

Experience matters

Senior teachers play a role in helping and mentoring the younger generation of teachers.

​

​

Negotiate Fair Contracts

Maintained health insurance plan with Blue Cross/Blue Shield which allowed our members to remain with their same doctor.

Protected Prep Time

Protected salary lanes of Masters +30 and Masters +60

Maintained the sick bank to assist members battling long term illnesses. Over 100 members have accessed this benefit.

Prevented massive layoffs in 2008 and 2011 in which there were severe budget cuts.

Maintained sick time of 20 days per year.

Continuously fight for fair contracts in these tough financial times.

​

​

Ensure that all schools have an active Building Rep, Union School Committee and Discipline Committee

Work with Building Reps, Union School Committees and Discipline Committees to provide guidance.

Annual Building Rep Forum

Monthly Building Rep Meeting

Sit in on Union School and Discipline Committee Meetings

Bring Issues raised by Union School Committees and Discipline Committees to the Superintendent Monthly Meetings

Ensure that all schools have an effective Union School Committee

​

​

Provide Union Sponsored Professional Development for Members by Members

HFT members attended training sessions in Washington, D.C.

HFT members conduct workshops: Writing SLOs, Reading Comprehension: Vocabulary, Instructional Strategies, Beginning Reading Instruction, Managing Behavior in School Communities, and Reciprocal Teaching

New Teacher Induction

​

​

Engage Members through Continuous Communication

Union officers hold monthly Building Rep meetings. At meetings information is shared and the Reps. take that info back to their schools to share with their colleagues to keep the members in the loop of what is going on.

Frequent email correspondence to membership

​

​

Advocate for our Members

Experienced in advocating for members

Represented over 200 HFT members at Pre-Disciplinary hearings related to D.C.F cases.

Guided members through the evaluation process.

Advocated for members to ensure they received a fair evaluation

Represented members at grievance hearings and arbitration cases.

Supported schools and provided guidance with a “Vote of No Confidence” against their administrator

Experienced Union officers’ step in after issues are not resolved at the school level.

​

​

Increase Awareness of Contract and Union Rights

An annual Building Rep Forum is held over the summer to discuss contract and union rights. The Building Reps take this information and share it with their colleagues at their respective schools.

​

​

Operate the Union in a Fiscally Responsible way

For the last 12 years, our Certified Public Accountants have presented at our General Membership meeting.