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HH, Employee Organizations

HH, Employee Organizations

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The Board of Education acknowledges the right of employees to support an organization as the exclusive representative of certain defined classifications of employees for the purpose of negotiations with the Board.

The Board of Education acknowledges the right of employees to organize and seek exclusive representation for defined bargaining units. Employee organizations may be recognized by the Board upon satisfying the requirements of this policy and adhering to the administrative recognition procedures established by the District.

1. Currently Recognized Representative Organizations

The Board of Education recognizes the Thompson Education Association (TEA) as the exclusive representative of the teachers employed by the district for the purpose of negotiation. The term "teacher" shall mean non-administrative personnel required to hold a teacher license or a special service provider license and defined under Colorado Revised Statutes Article 22-60.5-102 in the Colorado Educator Licensing Act.

2. Future Recognized Representative Organizations

Employee organizations seeking recognition as the exclusive bargaining representative for a new bargaining unit must satisfy core unit criteria and complete a certification process. Certification procedures must adhere to the following principles and thresholds:

  1. Neutral Third Party: The district shall maintain a list of individuals mutually agreed upon by the district and any recognized employee organizations to serve as decision makers in cases of disputes during the certification process.

  2. Costs for the Recognition Process: Costs associated with the process for a group seeking recognition will be the responsibility of the group seeking recognition. Costs associated with the recertification election process will be shared equally between the school district and the group seeking recertification.

  3. Bargaining Unit Composition: Proposed bargaining units must share a community of interest, consist exclusively of either exempt (professional) or non-exempt (classified) personnel, and have a total pool of at least 100 eligible employees.

  4. Show of Interest Petition Threshold: Once the Representation Proposal is accepted, the organization must submit to the CHRO a petition signed by at least thirty percent (30%) of all eligible employees in the total bargaining unit pool.

  5. Certification Election: The organization must successfully pass a secret-ballot election administered by an independent neutral third party by receiving a majority vote (50% plus one) of all eligible ballots cast.

The Superintendent or designee will establish, maintain, and update standard operating procedures to implement this policy. These administrative procedures shall include the principles and thresholds identified hereinabove.

3. Maintenance of Recognition Status

Recognized employee organizations will demonstrate annually that they meet the active membership threshold of fifty percent (50%) plus one. The District shall conduct a membership audit annually commencing on November 1. If the audit reveals that the recognized employee representative organization does not meet the active membership threshold, then the recognized employee representative organization shall be placed in a membership review period pending a recertification election as defined in the regulations accompanying this policy.

4. General Provisions

  1. Limitation: Both parties agree that other individuals or groups have the privilege of making presentations and providing comments to the Board on any matters of concern to them. However, it is agreed that no teacher or groups of teachers may approach the Board about items being negotiated during the time that negotiations are taking place.

  2. District Responsibilities: Retained The Board reserves and retains solely and exclusively its constitutional, statutory, and common law rights and responsibilities to manage the District and to take all necessary actions to operate the District. The management of the District and the direction of the employees are vested solely and exclusively in the District, and shall not in any way be abridged, except as specifically limited by the express terms of a written agreement with a recognized employee organization. The District shall not be bound by any requirement that is not specifically stated in a written agreement with a recognized employee organization or Board policies.

Adopted prior to 1985
Revised January 23, 1991
Revised October 17, 2012
Revised September 16, 2026

Policy Reference

Contract References

  • TEA Agreement, Article 4 - Recognition
  • TEA Agreement, Article 2 - Definitions