International teacher study offers lessons for U.S. schools

In response to attacks by Wisconsin Republicans on academic freedom in the University of Wisconsin System, the AFT-Wisconsin Higher Education Council has drafted a statement calling on the UW System Regents and chancellors to uphold protections for academic staff and tenure-track faculty that ensure academic freedom and high quality research and education at every UW System institution.

Come One, Come All!

If you aren't one of WPEC's elected delegates, you can attend as a guest.  But either way, you must be registered by Oct. 1. 

AFT-W Convention Announcement

For more details about the Convention, go to www.aft-wisconsin.org, click on Membership and then Convention.  You might have to log in first. 

Dennis Flamenbaum retired from the post of RC 23 president July. Stepping into the post of chapter president is Ellen Burke, who has served as vice president. 

Here's What's Happening...

Evaluation and Promotion Workshops for PTLs

EMUFT is offering Evaluation & Promotion Workshops for Part-Time Lecturers in mid-September. Sandy Becker will walk you through what to expect with your evaluation or promotion process as a part-timer, as well as other aspects of the PTL contract. There will be plenty of time for questions and discussion.

Workshop dates/times and locations for these one-hour workshops:

Monday, September 14 at 3:45 p.m. in 220 Pray-Harrold
Monday, September 14 at 7 p.m. in 545 Science Complex
Friday, September 18 at 3 p.m. in 220 Pray-Harrold

No Day Sept 15

Stop by the EMUFT table on the main floor of Pray-Harrold and play the Wheel of Misfortune and talk to our newest members, the Sock Puppets about how their semester is going so far.

Pay Day Social Thur Oct 1

Come celebrate the end of September pay day (finally for part-time lecturers!) and socialize with other EMU lecturers. Oct 1, 5-7pm at the Corner Brewery.

Regent’s Meeting Oct 13

Plan to attend the next Board of Regent’s meeting on Tue., Oct 13 in the Welch Hall BOR meeting room to support EMUFT Part-time Lecturers who no longer get paid on the first pay-date of each semester. This is not right, and we’re planning to have a larger voice than we have yet had at the BOR meeting. We need as many members as we can get to show up, wear a red EMUFT t-shirt, and show solidarity for lecturers calling for better working conditions. Our workplace is our students’ learning space. PTLs who can’t afford to pay bills or buy groceries for the month of September may not be feeling great while they’re in the classroom, and this can affect teaching and learning. Please help PTLs to be treated like every other employee group on campus and be paid on time.

Membership Meetings Sept 30 and Oct 1

The fall all-membership meetings are scheduled for Wed. 9/30 from 11am-12pm in Halle Library room 300 and Thur. 10/1 from 3-4pm in Halle Library room 302. You need only come to one meeting to participate. We’ll be discussing any current EMUFT issues, upcoming contract bargaining for the FT and PT contracts, and asking for input and discussion from all members in attendance. The more of us working together the stronger we can be. Please come be a part of your union as we move forward this year.

WeRoc November 15 Community Event

EMUFT is part of WeRoc (the Washtenaw Regional Organizing Coalition) which is working hard on behalf of local educational issues, economic issues for working families, opportunities for people with past jail-time, and the school to prison pipeline. WeRoc will be holding a large community meeting event on Nov. 15 from 3-5 pm at a local Ypsilanti venue (TBA). Anyone interested in race and economic issues in Washtenaw County is encouraged to attend and bring friends! More info to come.

EMUFT General News Brief:

*With support of AFT Michigan, as EMUFT moves toward upcoming contract bargaining for full-time and part-time contracts we will have a number of LEAD Organizing Fellows who willengage in a variety of activities such as one-to-one member organizing, planning and attending union member gatherings, participating in public actions, and helping to facilitate group decision-making, under the guidance of EMUFT and AFT leadership and staff. Look for the LEAD fellows around campus!

*We have a new full-time staff organizer, Tim Allen, who is already doing great things to help EMUFT become stronger and have a greater voice on campus. Please feel free to contact Tim to say hello, or come out to any of the scheduled events this fall.

*We recently, successfully settled grievances in Biology, Special Ed, and World Languages! Yay! But there are also more grievances still in process. The grievance team always needs extra help, from writing documents to simply sitting in at grievance meetings to show support. Please contact Tim Allen if you can be involved in helping us realize more successes in enforcing our bargaining agreements and continuously improving our working conditions.

*EMUFT has been working with the Faculty Development Center to run the new lecturer orientation and plan some events and activities for lecturers in the future. Stay tuned for more!

**There are so many ways that we all can be more involved with EMUFT. Please contact Tim Allen or stop by the office in 110 King to say hi (when he is there) and find out how you might become more involved. Our students’ learning space is our workplace… so in order to make EMU a great place for students and lecturers we have to work together and work stronger!

Please LIKE the EMUFT Facebook pages, and Twitter, and check the website for more updates, related posts, and general information on a more continuous basis:

http://emuft.mi.aft.org/

https://www.facebook.com/EMUFederationOfTeachers

https://www.facebook.com/groups/emuft/

Twitter [coming soon!]

To volunteer to help out with any event, or for more info, contact:

Tim Allen, EMUFT Staff Organizer

734-487-5448 or 313-633-4487

emuftorganizer@gmail.com

Please find below a memorandum from HISD Administration that has been shared with all principals.  Deviations from approved policy is a grievable action.  The HFT is currently working through the consultation process to solve workplace conditions violations being conducted by campus managers. 

Each campus mananger has been provided a copy of the memo from their bosses.  Should they choose to ignore both the law and their bosses, then we will have no choice but to take legal action.  We must have evidence in order to win our cases.  Examples include:

1.  Copies of directives, e-mails, memos, faculty handbooks, etc. that contradict board policy and/or state law.

2.  Witness statements from those impacted by the illegal actions.

3.  Third party evidence that may be provided through intermediaries such as department chairs, PLC leaders, etc. 

Please e-mail copies of this evidence to your staff rep or fax to (713) 979-9202.  You may also send your evidence with a contact number and school name to action@hft2415.org.

http://hft.tx.aft.org/files/memo_re_beginning_of_year_procedures.pdf