ALEC (American Legislative Council) is a well-funded organization, which operates outside of the political parties. ALEC is a “corporate bill mill, “ which groups conservative Republicans and corporate billionaires together to write legislation. Its existence was virtually unknown until 2010, when, by accident, a reporter happened to stumble upon a meeting of the group.
The Survey was open Nov. 15 to Dec. 2. Three hundred two employees responded to the survey, the vast majority of whom are teachers and coaches.
A "CUT ABOVE"
On Thursday, February 9, our CLEARWATER UNIT made its "annual visit" to Tampa Bay Downs for our much anticipated DAY AT THE RACES. All but three of our allotted 44 tickets were sold to our "avid horse racing fans"- if only once a year!
March Edition
Published by the Clearwater Unit
new member or conversion link---- https://join.aft.org/form/houston-federation-of-teachers/local/02415/hft-membership-record
The HFT has begun the process to convert all members to ACH Bank Draft to pay union membership dues. The Texas Legislature wants to break your union and we will not allow that to happen! We've developed a safe and secure method to pay your dues through bank draft almost the same as how you pay them now through payroll deduction.
We want you to convert now so we are prepared to for the switch in August 2017. We will begin deducting full dues with the August 9th paycheck.
Are you new to the HFT? Sign up using our bank draft form now.
Sign up using our secure, encrypted form today. Please contact your union representative if you have any questions.
In unity,
Zeph Capo
https://join.aft.org/form/houston-federation-of-teachers/local/02415/hft-membership-record
Since January 23, 2017, the rumor/threat of closing the ECC program at Mill Neck has caused a tremendous amount angst and concern among both the parents of our students and our members. We were told on January 24th the school would be closing, then on January 25th the DEC staff was told the school was probably closing. The Union advocated for students and parents asking the School that at a minimum, keep the program open for the summer to allow parents more time to find a new placement for their child. The School has the ability to run the summer program as per the
The spring 2017 membership meetings took place on February 6, on the Yamba Campus, and February 8, at the West Essex Campus (WEC).
Highlights of the meetings included:
Joanna McAvoy, AFTNJ State Representative, reported cautious optimism with the latest developments in our negotiations with the Essex County College (ECC) Administration. When a settlement is reached, the membership will have an opportunity to ratify the new agreement.
John Smith, Vice President and Grievance Chair, encouraged members to inform him or the other officers when they have a complaint or are experiencing difficulties. He went on to clarify the differences between gripes and grievances.
Mark Brodsky, Secretary/Treasurer, reported the last available number of Adjunct Faculty, 405, assigned in the fall 2016 semester.
Our Accountant, Natalie Pitts, has relocated from Samuel Klein and Co. of Newark NJ to Aurora Non-Profit Solutions in Oradell, NJ.
He outlined our monthly per capita dues obligations to the AFT, AFTNJ, United Adjunct Faculty NJ, and AFL-CIO.
Two members were reimbursed by our optical benefit program.
The reimbursement forms are available on this website.
Lynne Peterson Cummins, President, reported on the AFT Adjunct/Contingent Faculty Caucus. There is now a website: www.aftacc.org. New members are being recruited. A primary goal of the Caucus is to focus national attention on Adjunct Faculty and Contingent Faculty challenges. Bill Lipkin, President of the Caucus, discussed this at the WEC meeting.
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) sent a letter to the individual state Departments of Labor, which attempts to clarify “reasonable assurance.” “Reasonable assurance” is the vague term which prevents Adjunct Faculty from getting unemployment insurance. AFT is trying to interpret “reasonable assurance” and clarify its impact on Adjunct Faculty, who are not assured of being assigned classes, especially from the spring to the following fall semester. The USDOL letter is available on this website.
Lynne sent an email to ECC Adjunct Faculty on February 4, 2017 asking for accounts of their experiences while attempting to get unemployment insurance assistance. The goal is to collect information to prepare a case to present to the state DOL.
The full 2016-2017 Legislative Session Report was made available for members to peruse.
Scholarship opportunities for AFT members, ECC Adjunct Faculty, and ECC students were discussed.
