Click here for this week's update

In This issue

1) Benefits Update

2) COPE Update

3) Wellness and Self-Care

4) Union Plus Holiday Give Back

And More!

AFT Healthcare Maryland held our annaul member meeting virtually, we discussed issues of vacciniations, essential status, legislative activities and much more. You can find a link to the power point presentation that we went over, here.

The Open Enrollment deadline has been extended! Employees must log in to Workday to validate current benefits and make any updates before Open Enrollment ends on November 23. Please see the newsletter for more information.

Ask BESE for an Instructional Minutes Waiver for 2020-2021

A few members have questioned why 30 minutes are being added to the school day. Here’s the reason: Louisiana law requires all school districts to have a certain number of minutes of instruction each year.

Last school year, those requirements were waived because of COVID, but so far this year, the State has not issued any such waiver. You can help address this issue by sending an email to the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and Superintendent Brumley to ask them to waive the traditional instructional minutes requirement for this year.

Click here to send an email now!

MPEC is working to address agency non-compliance with the Governor's telework orders on November 10th. (Click here to download the letter sent to Governor Hogan and Secretary Brinkley) The Dept. of Budget and Management has allowed each agency to interpret and implement policies and mandates that are intended to protect employees at the manager's discretion. The difference in implementation that we are experiencing has certainly revealed the value of human life as very subjective to individual personalities. We are thankful for the managers whose actions clearly display respect and appreciation for the life of others. However, the managers whose actions indicate otherwise, creating gratuitous risks, will certainly be addressed to the greatest extent possible.

Sadly, this difference in implementation has been an on-going issue since the beginning of the pandemic. We are speaking with lawmakers to pass legislation that will eliminate subjective loopholes in policies and mandates intended to prevent or mitigate harm to state employees. We will post updates on the MPEC website and Facebook page.

In solidarity,

Jerry Smith, President

Education staff professionals –identified as Classified and Professional Technical Support in Citrus County-- are valued and critical members of every public school community.

They meet the needs of the whole student, promoting quality education and fostering positive learning environments.

Click here for this week's update

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In This Issue:

1) November Executive Board Meeting

2) Benefits Update

And More!

"According to the District’s audited financial statements, six years ago, the District spent 51% of its budget on instruction and by 2018 instruction funding fell to 41% of the budget. Now, Seattle Central has announced that 75% of 2020–2021 anticipated cuts should come from instruction. If North and South take the same path, instruction could fall to barely a third of the District’s operating revenue."

https://southseattleemerald.com/2020/11/06/opinion-seattle-colleges-in-c...

Patience—counseled by former Vice President Joe Biden all election week as Americans waited for votes to be counted—finally paid off Nov. 7, four days after Election Day, when Biden won in Pennsylvania and gained enough Electoral College votes to acquire a new title: president-elect. AFT President Randi Weingarten says the union’s leaders and members “can’t wait to get started” on the work ahead “with an administration that will embrace and fight for the values we hold dear.”