PSEA is a community of education professionals who make a difference in the lives of students every day.
PSEA established a Professional Rights and Responsibilities Commission to provide members with resources to foster positive, productive workplaces and local associations. The Commission is committed to promoting professional conduct, administering the PSEA Member Code of Ethics, assisting in the reduction of member conflicts, and guaranteeing Association due process rights.
(1) Confidentiality. Members shall withhold and safeguard information acquired about colleagues in the course of employment unless: 1) disclosure is required by law, employer directive, or policy; or 2) the member reasonably believes that disclosure is necessary to prevent immediate harm or to comply with professional or ethical obligations.
(2) Workplace Criticism. Members shall not criticize other members to supervisors, administrators, or management level employees except where: 1) reporting an issue is required by law, employer directive, or policy; or 2) the member reasonably believes that reporting is necessary to prevent immediate harm or to comply with professional or ethical obligations.
(3) Public Criticism. Members shall not publicly criticize the job performance of another member. If a member has a legitimate concern about the job performance of another member, he or she shall address those concerns within internal union channels.
(4) Retaliation. Members shall not retaliate against members who file complaints with the union as part of a process to resolve disputes through union channels.
(5) Discrimination. Members shall not discriminate on the ground of race, color, creed, gender, disability, national origin, or sexual orientation with regard to union affairs, including membership in the union, participation in the union, or access to member benefits.
(6) Harassment. Members shall not engage in harassing conduct toward another member in connection with union affairs where the conduct interferes with the union’s ability to carry out legal or contractual obligations, interferes with the union’s status as the exclusive representative, or interferes with free participation by members in the affairs of their association.
(1) Internal Union Matters. Members shall address internal union matters only within the union and shall not discuss such matters with management.
(2) Confidentiality. Members will maintain confidentiality of confidential union information or business unless disclosure is legally required.
(3) Exclusive Status. Members shall not act in a manner that undermines the status of the union as exclusive representative, including soliciting other unions or organizations that perform functions of the union, and shall refrain from conduct that interferes with the union’s legal or contractual obligations.
(4) Misrepresentation. Members shall not knowingly misrepresent or distort the positions of the union in a way that interferes with the union’s legal or contractual obligations or status as the exclusive representative and shall take adequate precautions to distinguish their personal views from those of the union.
(5) Conduct. Members shall properly identify themselves at all union events and adhere to all reasonable rules regarding participation at the meeting.
(6) Personal Gain. Members shall not misuse union resources or union positions for personal gain.
The PSEA Member Code of Ethics was adopted by the PSEA House of Delegates in May of 2024. It defines ethical conduct of members by setting forth members’ obligations to other members and to the union.
The PSEA Professional Rights and Responsibilities Commission provides members with resources to foster positive, productive workplaces and local associations. The Commission is committed to promoting professional conduct, administering the PSEA Member Code of Ethics, assisting in the reduction of member conflicts, and guaranteeing Association due process rights. In addition, local associations are required to adopt the PSEA Member Code of Ethics as a standard for member conduct (PSEA Bylaws, Article IX, Section 8).
Members who seek to file charges against another member for alleged violations of the PSEA Member Code of Ethics may request information from the PSEA Professional Rights and Responsibilities Commission. The Commission will consider charges pursuant to the PSEA Rules of Procedure for Hearings and Due Process. The Commission may recommend member discipline to the PSEA Board of Directors based on violations of the PSEA Member Code of Ethics. The Board of Directors has the power to issue censure, suspension, or expulsion to a member as the result of a violation (PSEA Bylaws Article X, Section C).
Membership disputes can have a negative impact on job performance and hurt your local association.
To assist members with disputes, PSEA offers the Conflict Resolution Through Collaboration (CRTC) program. The CRTC program is a confidential, individualized approach to resolve member-to-member disputes while eliminating the need to file formal ethics charges. It is an internal service provided for PSEA members by PSEA members.
CRTC is:
CRTC is not:
