“A majority of American teens say they are worried about a shooting happening at their school. Let that sink in,” AFT President Randi Weingarten writes in her latest column for the New York Times. “Young people are demanding meaningful action beyond ‘thoughts and prayers.’ They know, as do law enforcement officers and educators, that there are effective ways to address gun violence.” Read more about the proven strategies that would enhance school safety and reduce gun violence.
It’s time to divest from private prisons: The US incarcerates more prisoners than any other nation in the world - and private prisons profit. Our new report details how AFT members can encourage their pension funds to divest from private prison corporations.
In Los Angeles, UTLA members took to the picket lines because their schools are starved of resources. In Washington, D.C., President Trump has shut down the government to secure his border wall. In her monthly New York Times column, AFT President Randi Weingarten writes that when our elected leaders fail, whether by not funding public schools or by shutting down services that provide for our safety, they strike at the very heart of what makes us a democratic republic. Read the full column.
ATTENTION STATE RETIREES!
ACTION REQUIRED!
YOUR PRESCRIPTION DRUG COVERAGE MAY BE ENDING IN 2019
If you are a Medicare-eligible Maryland State Retiree, you must elect a Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plan for 2019. Or, if you are a State Retiree and have Medicare-Eligible dependents on your plan, they must elect a Part D plan for 2019.
The annual open enrollment period for Medicare Part D coverage for 2019 is from October 15, 2018 to December 7, 2018.
Members of the Maryland Classified Employees Association held a rally at their Woodlawn headquarters requesting lawmakers call a special session to [reconsider moving the retiree’s prescription drug plan to the Medicare Part D program next year.] Union leadership said the switch is going to be cost-prohibitive for many retirees living on fix
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