Media Release: November 2

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#339966" TEXT="#080000" background="043fd5a3.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>Greenfield Education Association</B></FONT><B>    </B><B> |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Greenfield Education Association"><B>home</B></A></div> <div> <B>Media Release: November 2</B>   |   <A HREF="id32.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Franklin County Salaries">Franklin County Salaries</A>   |   <A HREF="id24.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="GEA Presidents Letter of October 18">GEA President's Letter of October 18</A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#339966" TEXT="#080000" background="044d2b03.jpg"> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 width="100%" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I>Media Release: November 2</I></div> <div> For Immediate Release               Contact: Frank Brower, President GEA</div> <div> Nov. 2, 2005                                      (413) 337-4459</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <I>Greenfield teachers begin to withdraw voluntary services</I></div> <div> Due to the lack of a contract settlement, the members of the Greenfield Education Association voted overwhelmingly to begin the process of withdrawing from voluntary services if a resolution is not reached. The teachers are currently reviewing the list of such activities.</div> <bR> <div> “Despite working for a second year without raises, Greenfield educators often come in early and stay late to provide many voluntary services that are not contractually required,” said Frank Brower, President of the Greenfield Education Association. “We will stop providing many of those voluntary services to send a message that we must settle a fair contract.”The teachers haven't had a pay raise in two years.  The lack of a settled contract is distracting the staff, whose focus has always been on the children.  </div> <bR> <div> “We deeply regret having to take the step of limiting services, but the members of the Greenfield Education Association are sending a loud and clear message with this Work-to-Rule action that<B> </B>they are angry with the pace of negotiations<B> </B>and they believe it is past time to settle a fair and equitable contract,” added Brower.</div> <bR> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="5" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="491" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#339966" BORDERCOLORDARK="#339966" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" BGCOLOR=#EEEEEE > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 425 WIDTH="475"><div> <B>Work-to-Rule:</B></div> <div> The school committee's unwillingness to provide a fair contract for teachers is starting to create a crisis in our public schools that may have long-term damaging effects. The actions taken during the next several weeks to settle this crisis fairly will determine <B>the nature of any future job action.   </B></div> <bR> <div> The membership sent a loud and clear message by going to work-to-rule that<B> they are angry about the pace of negotiations </B>and they believe it is past time to settle a fair and equitable contract. </div> <bR> <div> The sad reality is that the biggest threat to student achievement in Greenfield right now is the lack of a fair contract that will allow our city to attract and retain quality teachers. If we are serious about <B><U>continuing the progress </U></B>we have made in improving our system of public education, it is critical that we try and avoid this crisis.</div> <bR> <div> The single most important thing we can do right now to support our students' future is to help educate our friends and neighbors on the importance of settling this issue soon to avoid <B>a range of possible future job actions.</B></div> <bR> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>