As the winter 2016 term gets underway we in the union leadership wanted to take a moment to welcome you all back and bring you up to date on a few union matters.

The AFT as issued a bulletin from on recent changes to Social Security and Medicare that all retirees, and soon to be retirees, should be aware of.

BESE Report – January 2016
MFP faces $20 million shortfall this year

Former Lt. Governor and current Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne visited BESE to administer oaths of office to members, but also brought a warning about the state’s dire financial situation.

Colleagues,

I’ve gotten some questions about Mid-Year Evaluations, so I am resending this info we’ve sent out in the past

1) Mid-Year Evaluations - As per state law and district policy, only teachers on Corrective Action Plans are required to have Mid-Year Evaluations done.   These Mid-Year Evaluations should be done:

·       Before February 15 (if CAP in place before September 15), or

·       Before summative conference (if CAP in place after September 15).”

The 2016 WPEC Convention is scheduled for Saturday, April 30.  It's an election year so all Executive Council positions are open. 

The deadline for submitting constitutional amendments is March 1, 2016. 

Agenda

Call to Convention

Registration Form

Constitutional Amendment form

Constitutional Amendment instructions

Nomination Form (for Executive Council positions, excluding district representatives)

Expense Reimbursement Policy

Community members gathered at the Maryland State House in Annapolis on Thursday, Jan. 14, 2016 in support of voting rights. They are calling on the State Legislature to override Gov. Larry Hogan's May 2015 veto of a bill that would have given earlier voting rights to ex-offenders.

On Tuesday, January 12, 2016, CUB retirees joined a rally sponsored by the Alliance for Retired Americans and the AFL-CIO in opposition to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) at the Baltimore World Trade Center.

LaVerne Foster, the CUB Retiree Chapter President, reports that they want to let people know that retirees are FIRED UP about the TPP agreement.

Colleagues,

1)      Contract Update: On Monday, the members of the NTU Negotiation Committee met and reviewed the contract surveys we have gotten.  We are starting to boil everything down to a list of several demands.  We have not yet formally met with the district to begin negotiations formally, but we will continue to keep you updated.  IF YOU HAVE NOT FILLED OUT THE CONTRACT SURVEY YET, PLEASE DO SO IMMEDIATELY!