CCAEOCAP is a registered public employees union in the State of Florida established to provide its members with the programs and services necessary to protect and promote their economic and employment welfare. As a voluntary organization, CCAEOCAP depends on the strong support and participation of its members.

CCAEOCAP is governed and directed by representatives elected by the members. Under the articles of its constitution, officers are elected to serve on its policy-making body, the Executive Board. CCAEOCAP also is affiliated and effectively served at the state and national levels by the Florida Education Association (FEA), the National Education Association (NEA) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT).

Since 1978, CCAEOCAP has served as the collective voice of Collier County's office and classroom support personnel. Together with the classroom teachers represented by the Collier County Education Association (CCEA), we are the community's staunchest advocates for the improvement of our district's public education system. Over the past 30 years, CCAEOCAP has expanded with the growth of the school system and now represents nearly 1,000 office and classroom education support personnel within its bargaining unit.

The association office is located at 6710 Lone Oak Boulevard in Naples. The office staff now serves approximately 2,600 public school employee members in Collier County.

CCAEOCAP exists to work for quality public education, the improvement of the working conditions and economic welfare of our members and the protection of the rights of individual employees and the association. These broad goals are pursued through the major programs and activities listed below.

Negotiations

As the exclusive bargaining agent for all Collier County office and classroom-related support service employees, the CCAEOCAP Bargaining Team negotiates a comprehensive contract for its members. Our contract addresses the working conditions, employment rights, wages and economic benefits of its members.

Research data for negotiations is collected from a wide variety of sources, including FEA, NEA, AFT and numerous professional and governmental agencies. CCAEOCAP views its members, however, as its most significant source in preparing for meaningful negotiations. Great effort is made to identify the members' needs and concerns prior to formulating contract proposals.

CCAEOCAP's efforts in negotiating over the years with CCPS's managers have secured many benefits for our members. Following are some examples:

• A guaranteed duty-free lunch period
• Overtime pay for all hours worked beyond 40 hours per week and compensation for extra-duty assignments
• A formal evaluation process
• The use of "length of service" as a major criteria in case of employee layoffs and recalls
• Notification of advancement openings
• A grievance procedure ending in binding arbitration--This formal process allows employees to challenge unfair actions by management related to a violation of our negotiated contract.
• Salary increases which have maintained the competitive wages earned by our members

Employee Rights and Protection

The contract, once negotiated and ratified, represents the initial step in securing the rights of our members. Next is the administration of the contract. Without guarding the rights and privileges won at the bargaining table, a contract becomes little more than a well-organized document. Executive Director Jonathan Tuttle and Service Unit Director Lyle Farmar provide the members with professional advice and assistance in grievance processing and arbitration work. Through the association, members also have access to highly qualified, public-sector labor attorneys. The level of assistance provided ranges from professional advice regarding personal leaves and preparation of assessment rejoinders to legal representation in termination cases.

Legislative/Political Action

Interwoven into the fabric of negotiations and the protection of employee rights are, of course, the decisions of elected public officials including members of our local School Board and Florida's state legislators. CCAEOCAP works with CCEA and its affiliates to keep our members informed and involved in the work of the Florida Legislature and the School Board. We have acknowledged as a fact of life that the political process controls nearly everything which directly impacts public school workers. Therefore, we have the vital task of establishing a positive working relationship with the political decision makers as well as educating them regarding the needs of our public schools, their employees and students.

To augment our government relations program, the school employees have come together to form their own political action arm named Collier TIGER (Together In Government & Education Reform). This political action committee participates in the political process by interviewing candidates and actively campaigning on behalf of those who are most responsive to the needs of our schools and their employees.

Annually, CCAEOCAP, CCEA and Collier TIGER send teams of lobbyists to Tallahassee to communicate with Florida's legislators and Cabinet members. Their mission is to promote positive education legislation. Essential to this lobbying process is the work of our members who do their part by communicating to our legislators regarding the association's position on specific issues. As a means of spotlighting our legislative program, we sponsor an annual legislative reception which has become a most successful community event. This reception provides all school employees with the opportunity to speak personally to local elected officials as well as state legislators regarding the needs of our school system and its employees.

Leadership Development

CCAEOCAP recognizes that its strength is firmly rooted in the efforts of its members who join on a voluntary basis. To maintain an informed leadership, educational opportunities are provided for our elected officers and representatives. We do this through monthly meetings and in special conferences and seminars sponsored by CCEA, FEA, NEA or AFT. Training in such areas as contract administration, negotiations, membership development, political campaigning, community relations, etc., keeps CCAEOCAP a responsive and viable organization.