Out in the streets making sure our students and families are aware of what’s going on! It’s time to get our students safely back in the building for learning!!!!!! We miss our families and are excited about our next chapter!!! #AFT #AFTLocal420 #FreedomToThrive #PublicSchoolProud #SaintLouisPublicSchools Juanita Chambers #SLPSLookingForYou #RecconectSLPS #SAFESTARTSLPS #SLPSshines #GetReadySLPSReconnect
July 19, 2021
After earning an upgrade from Moody’s from a “Stable” to “Positive” outlook, a designation that only 2% of all ratings receive, as well as an impressively flush financial report, LIU’s Senior Administration has put a collection of egregious proposals that cut salary, benefits, and job security for all. LIU is in a better financial position than it has been in for decades.
This is a selection of some of their most horrible proposals:
Back To School Safely
AFT phone banking at SLPS HQ
Please click the link, 2021 Summer School Programs, to view the 2021 Summer School Letter of Agreement with the Detroit Public Schools Community District.
To view the legal filings made in Connecticut Superior Court regarding telework, click on the link below:
SEBAC Injunctive Relief Legal Documents
As everyone is fully aware, the State decided to ignore the Transitional Telework Agreement that they had signed with the Unions just a few weeks earlier. We are clearly angry with the Governor's Office for their deception on the issue. The Governor's office has disrespected the labor-management process, and the negotations surrounding it. We also take note of the ease with which the Governor's Office willingly and deliberatley misled his Commissioners about the intent of the agreement The administration’s approach to Telework is not only laughable in its blatant disregard for our ability to work outside of the office, but it is also ignorant to the economic value, infrastructure improvements, health benefits, and quality of life enhancements that Telework provides. We understand that Telework has been a tremendous success and A&R will continue to advocate for employee safety as well as maximizing employee free choice.
So while human resource officers and management across the state scrambled to undo the mess created by OLR's intentional misapplication of the Transitional Telework Agreement, A&R, along with the other SEBAC unions, have taken this issue to Superior Court for injunctive relief and demanding that the agreement be enforced as written (and intended). We have also filed a prohibited practice charge at the State Board of Labor Relations (SBLR - a separate and distinct entity from OLR). The Transitional Telework Agreement was reflective of the fact that telework works. The Office of Labor Relations (OLR) and SEBAC entered into that agreement in good faith. Why OLR decided to dishonor the agreement in such a blatant fashion is perhaps known only in the Governor's Office. It was a disrespectful act and it was bad faith bargaining by our employer. Faithless bargaining will not be tolerated.
We still make the following recommendations to A&R employees:
posted 7/7
Now that the FLDOE is beginning to issue guidance regarding the $1000 relief payments from the state for classroom teachers and principals, we need to make sure that none of our instructional colleagues are left out! Our non-classroom instructional staff were vital to the safe and successful return to learning for students in Hernando Schools. The failure of state-level leaders to recognize that is discouraging, but it doesn't have to be divisive!
A&R has entered into a contract extension agreement with the State, ensuring the contract remains valid beyond the expiration date (which is today). Click here to view the Contract Extension. The extension runs through July 1, 2022, or until a successor contract is approved by the Legislature. In essence, all aspects of the contract remain in force, the notable exceptions being the prohibition against contracting out (which should not be viewed as unusual), MOU VIII (snowday procedures), and member access to professional development and tuition reimbursement funds. Please continue to submit tuition/prof development reimbursement requests realizing that we need to negotiate for retroactive funding. Top step payments are part of the salary and therefore we expect that they will be paid in January as normal. Future increments will need to be negotiated and therefore will not occur under this contract extension and A&R will pursue retroactivity as appropriate.
It is too early to tell if we will have a settled contract to bring for a membership vote, or if we will need to seek an arbitration award that is binding on both parties. Both parties have presented their suggested changes to the contract language and we have held 9 bargaining sessions with the State with no major areas of dispute to report, the possible exception being telecommuting language. The number of meetings has risen above the threshold needed to declare impasse, but we continue to discuss the proposals as the discussions have been fruitful and honest. Initial financial proposal packages have been exchanged. The initial proposals are starting points for further discussions. However, as of today (July 1, 2021) substantive discussions regarding wages have not yet taken place. So we have four meetings scheduled for July and we will continue to discuss language changes in areas such as service ratings, the reclass process, and Temporary Service in a Higher Class, along with the various other proposals, with both parties preparing to discuss potential financial packages.
7/1/21
