The University of Maine System reported that classes resumed for 26,655 students on March 25 following a spring break that was extended by two days to allow for the transition to distance instruction and other venues for the completion of the spring semester.

Maine’s public universities remained operational but most faculty and staff were working remotely, and public access to university facilities was restricted in keeping with guidance from public health officials and directives from Gov. Janet Mills.

This NYSUT Fact Sheet is intended to provide guidance on important considerations in addressing New York State’s continuity of learning requirement for local members

The key issues to address during the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis start with health and safety concerns and the social emotional needs of students and staff.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding this information, please submit via the Form in the previous posting. 

Paraeducators please sign petition now. Many of our frontline responders are running out or don't have enough protection to combat this pandemic crisis . They are putting themselves and others lives in danger .
Take action and please sign the petition.
Be safe and be well .
Continue to practice social distancing and stay home.

https://sign.moveon.org/petitions/healthcare-workers-need-protective-equ...

The DMV Wethersfield Office has at least 5 confirmed cases of COVID-19 yet Commissioner Magubane has ordered all 400 employees at that building to continue to report to work as normal, designating all 400 as “Level 1 – essential”.  To be clear, workers are being told to report to work as usual to a building with a confirmed outbreak of coronavirus, despite the Governor’s Executive Orders for all citizens to “Stay safe, Stay home”.  Gubernatorial edicts to enact widespread telecommuting have been ignored at the DMV.  Commissioner Magubane, herself under quarantine due to exposure to the virus from a fellow DMV executive, sits far away self-monitoring.  She is safely away from the worksite – a worksite that clearly is a coronavirus “hot-zone”.  Yet Commissioner Magubane has directed all 400 employees to continue to report to a facility with multiple confirmed cases of COVID-19.   Her directive risks exposure for 400 employees, their families and everyone with whom they interact

This is beyond reckless and dangerous.  With the apparent exception of Commissioner Magubane, we all know the seriousness of this disease.  Magubane’s callous disregard for the wellbeing of her staff is reprehensible.  The interests of the agency are poorly served if the entire staff succumbs to coronavirus at once, a very possible outcome if employees are foolishly required to be in close quarters with one another, in direct violation of protocols mandated by the CDC, the Governor, and virtually every other authority on the subject.  These protocols have been properly implemented at nearly all agencies, with the glaring exception of DMV.   Commissioner Magubane has consistently shown a lack of initiative and understanding about her agency throughout her short tenure at DMV.  Her inability to grasp the concepts of public health and administer her agency accordingly, despite twelve consecutive days of Executive Orders from the Governor is just inexplicable. 

Commissioner Magubane needs to be removed from office immediately before the agency becomes defunct.  

We need employees to be safe.  Safety is the union’s number one priority.  The sheer volume of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the DMV Wethersfield building establishes it as a hot-zone.  We do not consider having employees in close proximity to each other in an infectious disease hot-zone to be safe.  Based on the Governor’s Executive Orders to stay safe, stay home, we are advising employees that if you believe you have been exposed to an employee with COVID-19 at the DMV-Wethersfield Office, then you should immediately go home and self-monitor for 14 days utilizing the LOPD code on your timesheet.  If telework is possible, then please telework.

FOSCEP Brothers and Sisters,

Please read the note below forwarded to us by OA regarding excess annual leave:

Commonwealth employees represented by your organization have the ability to carry-over unused Annual Leave from year-to-year subject to a defined maximum outlined in your collective bargaining agreement (CBA)/memorandum of understanding (MOU).

Quite a bit has happened since Friday...so we will skip the step-by-step and cut right to the "where we are today"...Monday 3/23/2020.

Governor Lamont has released a series of Executive Orders since 3/12/20 (7 thru 7i) and this weekend announced his "Stay Safe, Stay Home" initiative.  It is the Stay Safe, Stay Home initiative that State Agencies are expected to be implementing this week.  DAS/OPM released the following guidance to all agencies.

The basic gist for State Employees is that agencies are looking to maintain a skeleton crew in the office and have the majority of employees telecommuting by Tuesday 3/24.  So agencies are expected to determine and notify each employee of their individual status by Monday night.

It is important to note that all scenarios below are paid status for employees.

The guidance reads as follows:

Employees with job functions determined by the agency head to be capable of teleworking and who are equipped to do so MUST telework.

In determining the appropriate category for each job classes (and, as applicable, which individuals within each job class) in your agency, we suggest you engage in the following analysis for each job class:

First, determine whether it is possible for the employees in that job class to telework. If the employees can perform their duties at home and there is no reasonable likelihood that any of the employees would need to physically report to work outside of their home, then the employees should be categorized as Level 2.

Second, for each job class for which the employees will not be able to telework full-time, determine whether the employees in that job class will be able to perform most of their duties at home but may also need to physically report to work outside of their home on a sporadic or as needed basis. Employees in that job class should be categorized as Level 1 Intermittent.

Third, for each job class for which it is not possible for the employees to work from home, full-time or part-time, determine whether the duties performed by such employees are necessary to the programs and services that your agency must continue to keep operational while the State confronts the COVID 19 pandemic. If the work is necessary to maintain such operations, then the employees should be categorized as Level 1 Constant.

Finally, if the work is not necessary to maintain such operations, then the employees should be categorized as Level 2 – Other. Employees in such job classes will be placed on paid leave pursuant to C.G.S. §5-248(a) and notified that they may be reassigned to other appropriate work, as needed in order to ensure that the State can maintain necessary operations.

Agencies should notify all employees that the designation is for this unique circumstance, and that as circumstances change so might a particular designation.

If an agency wants to consider a creative concept not contemplated here, they should contact their assigned Labor Relations Program Manager.

The Office of Benefits was informed by Blue Care Network (BCN) that due to the current public health emergency, they have extended your Healthy Blue Living deadlines for the 2020 plan year only.

Here are your new deadlines to remain at, or earn back, the enhanced level with lower out-of-pocket costs, such as copayments and deductible:

• Your health assessment is due by June 30, 2020.

• Your Blue Care Network Qualification Form is due by June 30, 2020.

• If applicable, your Tobacco Cessation Coaching program deadline to enroll is July 31, 2020.

The Detroit Federation of Teachers wants to share informative tips and resources with our members during this public health emergency.  Here's a recap of the information we shared this week. We want to hear from you.  What are some of the incredible things you are doing to provide instruction from home?  Share with us by sending an email to lhenry@dft231.com by Tuesday, March 24.  

NYS AFL-CIO President Mario Cilento about COVID-19 relief available to workers at both the State and Federal Levels