May 5, 2010

Academic –Administrative Personnel Federation – Local 3983

Your Negotiating Team has begun contract negotiations with the Administration of County College of Morris.  Representing the Administration are, Thomas Burk (Human Resources), Rita Ragany-Bayer (Human Resources) & John Young (Business & Finance).  Your team is comprised of Sheri Ventura, Jill Wells, Gina Garcia, Ronnie Kopp Weiner, Joanne Kearns and Joanna McAvoy (Staff Representative, NJSFT).  In preparation for contract negotiations, we have been meeting regularly since September 2009 and continue to do so almost weekly.  Thus far, meetings with Administration have been held on February 24^th, March 4^th, March 17^th, March 31^st, April 14^th & May 4^th. A calendar of meeting dates has been established for every other week through May 2010. 

Both sides have presented opening remarks and agreed to ground rules for meetings.  In addition, an initial exchange of proposals has occurred with articles for review identified.  As typically is the case, the proposals presented at the first sessions are the simplest while more complex articles are dealt with later.  There is ongoing discussion addressing such items, however, it is too early in the process to comment on progress.

Our next meeting with Administration is scheduled for May 26, 2010.

Be on the lookout for mail from Healthcare Data Management -on behalf of PEIA! Read more...

The GFCCE leadership is urging members to voluntarily contribute to the newly established political action committee (GCOPE) in preparation for the 2010 School Board elections.  With threats to education occuring at both the federal and state levels, it is critical that we recruit and support education allies for the Board.  Our membership can make a huge difference by donating to campaigns and volunteering to walk neighborhoods in the fall.  There is no time to waste, as the election season is just around the corner. 

Becoming a member for GCOPE is a two-step process:

1) The initial "buy-in" cost is $10 (make checks payable to GCOPE) but will increase after June 1. 

2) Fill out a voluntary monthly payroll deduction form and submit it to the payroll department.

The endorsement process will occur in August or early September.

Click on the title for the letter sent to members this week.

Quincy Federation of Teachers Local 809 is seeking members interested in becoming Educational Research and Dissemination Trainers.  Each year the QFT, with the assistance of the ER&D Program sponsored by the AFT, trains three members in one or two of the ER&D modules.  We presently have trainers in Foundations of Effective Teaching 1 and Managing Antisocial Behavior.  

The state of California is in the process of applying for the second round of Race to the Top funding.  This time six superintendents from across the state will craft the application instead of the state legislature and state bureaucrats.  California will need to hop from its current 27th place to near the top to qualify.  One of the biggest criticisms from the federal government in California's original application is that state policy-makers did not get union approcal of the plan.

Click on the title for more analysis.

On Saturday, April 24th, over 100 early educators met at the Boston Teachers Union Hall in Dorchester for an Advocacy & Leadership Conference. Teachers, assistants, directors, and owners from all over the state came to improve their skills so they could better advocate for children and early childhood education.

Click the link above to read more!

"When it comes to giving up 18a or our employment rules or work rights, that's a non-starter for the AFT." - Judy Hale as quoted in the Daily Mail, April 28, 2010, in response to a question about the upcoming special session.

As we prepare for the special legislative session, AFT-WV has made one thing perfectly clear to the Governor and legislators. Under no circumstances will AFT-WV accept any take-backs or reductions in our employment rights as contained in West Virginia Code, 18a. This includes our rights with regard to seniority, RIFs and transfers, filling of jobs, etc.

Just as AFT-WV led the fight against the charter school bill during the regular session, we will continue to protect our rights and offer proposals to provide real innovation in our schools without reducing our employment rights.

So, what proposals do we expect to surface during the special session?

-A charter school proposal that preserves employee rights. The proposal would allow stakeholders to structure a school's curriculum, create family-involvement programs, determine the length of the school day and year, and plan and manage the school's budget. AFT-WV has and will continue to oppose any bill that reduces employee rights and removes control from the county boards of education.
-A new teacher evaluation system that links student performance on standardized tests and other measures to a teacher’s evaluation. AFT-WV has and will continue to oppose legislation that links students’ performance to a teacher’s evaluation.
-A pay for performance compensation system. AFT-WV has and will oppose merit-pay.

So, what does AFT-WV support?

-We support an expansion of the Innovation Zones Act accompanied by increased funding. Schools should be laboratories of experimentation and reform without diminishing employment rights of education employees;
-We support wrap-around schools that are cost-effective approaches to creatively meet the behavioral, academic and transitional needs of students;
-We support community learning centers that provide academic enrichment opportunities during non-school hours for children, particularly students who attend high-poverty and low-performing schools;
-We support legislation to eliminate the responsibility of the OPEB liability from county boards of education and shifting it to the state.

As always, we will keep you informed of the latest developments. Simply visit www.aftwv.org or sign up for our email updates by contacting Morgenstern@aftwv.org. If you have any questions or concerns about our positions, please do not hesitate to contact AFT-WV at 1-800-222-9838 or Morgenstern@aftwv.org.

testing

Become a member of the United States Lifesaving Association New York Chapter!

Lifeguards always on the lookout to keep swimmers safe.