Board votes in bad faith

The APS Board of Education took a vote Wednesday night, addressing the issue of APS employees serving in the legislature. In dealing with the one issue, the board created another, they violated an agreement with the Albuquerque Teachers Federation.

The violation had to do with an understanding about how employment issues will be negotiated.  The leadership of the APS entered a solemn agreement with the union to submit issues to "interest based bargaining"; issues would be brought to the table for two-way discussion with interest holders before a final decision was made.

Yet the board did make a final decision, without first engaging in discussion with the union; reneging on their commitment.

Union President Ellen Bernstein showed up at the public forum to urge the Board to respect their solemn agreement, link, (click on the May 2nd video, @ 1:53:40).

She used words like "betrayed", "disrespected", "bad faith, and "dismayed".

She did not use the word "surprised".

The issue is not whether APS employees should be allowed to serve in the legislature, it is about the board being unbound by any standards, even their own solemn commitments.

The Journal was at that meeting, heard Bernstein and her union's outrage over the monumental betrayal of trust, and did not find it newsworthy.