Yesterday Office of Policy and Management Secretary Ben Barnes told the legislature’s two budget writing committees "I don’t believe that the state is in any kind of a crisis”.  Secretary Barnes also stated that “I believe we face challenges and will continue to face challenges and that the changing nature of our economy makes it very difficult to operate government services on the types of tax bases that we have.”  Read the entire story here at CT News Junkie.

By NORINE GALL

Contact: Jamie Fitzgerald, 206-714-9976 or

Jaeney Hoeney, 253-833-9111 xt 4239

Green River College faculty has ‘No Confidence’ in Board of Trustees, ask Gov. Inslee to make changes

The faculty at Green River College has overwhelmingly approved a vote of no confidence in its board of trustees and is asking Gov. Jay Inslee to appoint new ones.

The vote was presented to the board at its Nov. 18 meeting and comes on the heels of two other votes where 92 percent of tenured faculty said they had no confidence in college President Eileen Ely.

“Our college is in a crisis of governance, and the board has been and continues to be negligent in its responsibility to ensure the college’s fulfillment of its mission,” says a faculty statement explaining its no-confidence vote. More than 80 percent of tenured faculty endorsed the vote.

The statement says the board has failed to:

• Evaluate President Ely adequately and effectively;
• Intervene in the face of a low and grinding morale across the campus where employees are not valued but rather harrassed, and the mission of the college is impeded;
• Provide oversight of questionable financial operations;
• Responsibly and respectfully communicate with faculty and address our concerns about the lack of shared governance;
• Failed to uphold the right of free speech by providing restrictions on presenters to the board;
• Uphold the traditional values and practices of the board which support the mission of the college;
• Question or arrest the declining role of instruction in the operations of the college; and
• Provide reasonable oversight regarding personnel matters.

“For these reasons, we believe the board is derelict in its oversight duties,” says the statement.

The statement asks that when current board members’ terms expire, Gov. Inslee “support union labor” by appointing trustees who understand the concerns of labor. In addition, the statement adds, “we believe the college would benefit from having more board members who represent the growing diversity and changing demographics of our service area.”

A four-page document accompanying the statement provides supporting rationale for faculty vote.

Vote of No Confidence Document

Vote of No Confidence Rationale

As an OESPA member and through involvement in your union, you have an advantage. You have the power to bargain, the power to negotiate; and the power to change things, win improvements, and accomplish the goals that matter to you!

Who can join?

OESPA is the union for OCPS employees whose positions fall under the following job families:
 

• Transportation
• Paraprofessionals
• Clerical
• Custodial
• Uniformed Security
• Maintenance
• Food Service
• Technology

If you aren't sure which job family your position falls under, check Appendix A-1 in your contract.

How to join:

FAX it to (407) 290-8799
EMAIL it to orangeoespa@gmail.com, or
HAND it to your steward, organizer or Uniserv Director

Please click on the image below to download the application:

The legislature’s nonpartisan fiscal analysts projected the state will face $4.3 billion in budget deficits over the next four years. The Office of Fiscal Analysis estimates that the state is facing a $254.4 million budget deficit in 2016 and a $552 million deficit in 2017, but the deficit grows even further to $1.7 billion in 2018 and $1.8 billion in 2019.  The OFA's deficit projections are similar to those  of OPM.   Read the entire story at CT News Junkie

• by HEIDI SANDERS,  Kent Reporter Reporter, Schools, Education, Sports  
• Sep 23, 2015 at 3:08PM 

The leaders of the legislature's Democratic majority recommended suspending the state's public-financing of elections for 2016, cutting social services, and retreating from two major initiatives on transportation and municipal aid. The suggested cuts are part of continuing negotiations with Governor Malloy and the Republican legislative minority over how to eliminate growing deficits projected for this fiscal year and the one that begins July 1.

State Comptroller Kevin Lembo announced today he is developing an alternative plan to restructure Connecticut’s payments into the cash-starved pension fund for state employees.  Unlike the plan Governor Malloy offered last month in which Tier 1 pension costs would be separated from the pension fund and paid for as a pay-as-you-go budget line item, Lembo's proposal would not split the pension system into two components (Tier 1 and all others).