MCEA is reaching out to all of our Active and Active Retired members to update 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' mail and email contact information.
Some answers to questions that we have been getting:
Donald Trump has claimed the power to unilaterally eliminate Social Security's dedicated funding. If re-elected, Trump will ensure that some Social Security benefits will stop as early as next year!
Greetings from Your New President !
Please click the links to view the following items regarding the 2020 Detroit Federation of Teachers Biennial Election of Officers, Board Members and Trustees.
The right to vote underpins every other right we have. This year, as we are confronting four crises—the pandemic, the recession, systemic racism and, now, the worst wildfires ever—exercising our right to vote has never been more important.
September ushers in the beginning of Autumn, local harvest festivals, and our annual service ratings. The annual service rating is important as it is connected to your Step increase in January. An "overall good or better" will grant you the Step increase (no rating given will also grant the Step increase). However, if you receive an "overall less than good" rating you can be denied your step increase ("less than good" = 1 Unsatisfactory mark or 2 Fair marks)
There are also a few procedures surrounding the service rating...of course this year may be a little different than in years past, so here a few things about conducting service ratings this year.
Our service ratings require that the immediate supervisor meet and discuss the rating with the employee. Due to COVID/teleworking, reviews do not need to be done in person, we will accept a meeting conducted via Zoom/Teams. If your supervisor wants to meet in person and you are hesitant or unable to do so, please feel free to request a Zoom/Teams conference.
Also, our service ratings require that the employee signs the document acknowledging that they have seen the document and discussed it. We will accept an email communication from the employee as acknowledgement of the requirements and the physical signature can be obtained at a later time.
It is still expected that the direct supervisor sign the document prior to review and that the appointing authority also signs the document in a timely manner.
If you receive 1 Unsatisfactory mark or 2 Fair marks, the rating should be contested so please contact a steward (or the A&R Office 860 953 1316 or the A&R Chief Steward Patrick Lamb plamb@andr.org).
Often times, employees are upset that, this year, they were not reviewed as being as stellar as in years past, yet all marks are above the line; in most cases, this is not contestable/greiveable, but you can talk to a steward about it, in some cases there is an unacceptable reason for the downgrade that goes beyond just the supervisors annual assessment.
Lastly, the Top Step Payment is not contingent upon the service rating.
