Members across the state aren't letting the abolishment of payroll deduction extinguish their professional voice!

They're signing up for e-dues to remain a union member and fight for public education. 

AEOP Meeting Minutes

May 3-7, 2021 ~ Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week has never meant quite so much...

Citrus County's educators have met the challenges of teaching during a pandemic with determination, creativity, patience, and care--all to keep students safe and learning. There is no doubt that our public school employees have truly gone above and beyond to support students and the community as a whole. Here's your opportunity to show appreciation for the unique contributions of the teachers and school staff who are making a difference every day!

Submit a shout-out to the teacher or school staff member that you'd like to recognize and we'll deliver your message to them along with a small token of appreciation!   

CLICK HERE

Not a member? Sign up now!

If you are not currently a member, you can download a sign-up form here. The form needs to be printed, filled out, and mailed to BCFPE, 305 W. Chesapeake Ave, Suite L30, Towson, MD 21204. Call us with questions or to make other arrangements (410) 296-1875, or jripley@aft-maryland.org. 

Members: Update your Contact Information

Does BCFPE have your current contact information? We are reaching out to all members to update their contact information in our database. We want to keep you abreast of all of our activities, and in a time where it is difficult to meet in person, we especially need our members' mailing and email contact information.

Please click here to update your information: http://aftmd.us/BCFPEmembercontact

Welcome to the first edition of the newly resurrected union newsletter The Advocate! 

Much of what you see looks just like before but, like everything else, you are reading it online. Starting with this issue we will be returning to our regular publication schedule of two issues each long semester. At least through Fall, 2021 we will be coming to you through your computer inbox instead of your office mailbox.  After that, we’ll see. We may return to print. We may stay online. We may adopt a hybrid format.  Times change (sometimes abruptly) and we are changing, too.

What will not change is our commitment to providing the Lone Star College Community with important news and quality insight into the life of our Institution.  We will keep you abreast of the work that the AFT is doing (and has been doing all through pandemic) to advocate for Policy and to advocate for People – because the name of our newsletter is what we do!

Read on, dear friends. We are back! Click here to read our lastest edition of The Advocate!

We know the pandemic conditions are getting to all of us and we have not been able to provide trips for the first half of this year and we need a break from the malaise.  Therefore, A&R is going to hold some games for prizes over the next few Wednesdays!

HEADLINES:

Sen. Romney, Rep. Gallagher Re- Introduce the TRUST Act;

Rural Seniors' Lower Vaccination Rates Signal an Urban-Rural Divide;

CFPB Offers Tips for Seniors Seeking a Financial Adviser;

KHN: From Rotten Teeth to Advanced Cancer, Patients Feel the Effects of Treatment Delays

Please click the links below to review the following Letters of Agreement (LOA):

A&R held its Annual Convention on April 22^nd.  We thank all of the members who were able to participate.  This was our union's 38th Annual Convention, maintaining a long standing tradition.  We are proud we were able to conduct the consitutionally required business of the union in a safe manner, despite the pandemic. While little business was before the Convention, plenty of comraderie could be found.  With only the Annual Budget up for consideration, the business portion of the meeting was brief.

Longevity: for those that qualify, Longevity payments were made in this week's paycheck.  The longevity chart can be found here.

Negotiations: Six sessions with the state have been held thus, with three more scheduled in May.  While negotiations are moving along at a relatively brisk pace, we are still in the initial stages of exchanging proposals.  As might be expected, the state's original position on wages is far from what we might consider acceptable to the membership (this is normal).  This should not be discouraging, as meaningful negotiations between the parties over wages have yet to occur.  Discussions over contract language have been productive, with both sides in general agreement that certain sections of the contract need revision.  Our contract, having been around for 40 years, is what can be described as "mature", meaning that we are essentially fine-tuning language to address issues that have arisen over the past few years.  Our main concerns still revolve around firmly implementing a proper Telework agreement, securing fair wage increases over the next contract, and addressing issues related to the anticipated retirement wave in 2022 and its impact on staffing.  As is often the case, the wage pattern ultimately offered to us will determine whether we can come to an agreement with the state.  It is much too early in the process, with meaningful negotiations over wages yet to occur, so we can only report that we are still hoping to reach an agreement but we do not have a time-table for that to occur.

Vaccinations:  No they are not required as a condition of employment.  If you do get a vaccination shot then you are eligible for 1hr of Comp Time for each shot you receive (you must validate that you received the shot to receive the Comp Time).  While you are NOT required to report your vaccination status, an hour of Comp Time is available for each shot administered, if you do.

Work From Home: the most important issue is the current Work From Home (WFH) directive.  Clearly, telework has been effective on a large scale.  Nonetheless, we all know that at some point, the Governor will lift his WFH directive to all agencies.  We do not have any insight as to when this will occur.  At the very least, we still have a "pre-pandemic" Interim Telework program in place that allows for 50% telework, we expect most people will opt to continue telework via this program when the time arrives. We understand the importance of Telework to the membership, it is one of our top priorities at the bargaining table.  Our goal is to maximize employee choice for telecommuting.

-4/23/21