The Lodi Unified School District voted to issue 410 pink slips to address its $30 million budget gap.  Here is the link:lodinews.com/articles/2010/02/17/news/1_lusd_100217.txt

As the only University of Alaska employees who are not currently represented by our union, Classified and APT staff are the last piece of the APEA/AFT puzzle. Click here for full details.

In these tough economic times when public employees and university faculty and staff are being hit with givebacks and take-backs, all University of Alaska employees deserve a seat at the table! Click here for full details.

Chapter Chair - Margaret Rosen

Treasurer - Al Opacity

Secretary - Michael Kownacky

Grievance Chair - John Forconi

Notes on Meeting with Patricia P. – Accounting Consultant

If you have received money you were not due, do not cash the check. See the board office immediately to request the check be voided, and a new check be issued to the appropriate person, or if it was for you for the correct amount. DO NOT PAY another employee with a personal check. Your taxes will be incorrect at the end of the year!

Summer school teachers are paid on a 1099 form, and do not receive a W-2 for summer school work. This means it is not being paid out of the regular salary accounts, but you are being paid as a “consultant”, which is fine. If a summer school teacher needs a sub, they should pay the sub the full amount, then take it off as a deduction. The sub should then claim it as income on their own taxes. The difference here is that you can file a Schedule C (Self-Employment Income) form on your tax return, and claim the following deductions, which we normally cannot claim with our regular pay (Use your SS number as your employer ID#):

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a percentage of what your internet costs are if you are using it at home to prepare your lessons

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a percentage of the cost of your computer, printing expenses, paper

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books & any other materials used for your class

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tolls you incur to/from work

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mileage @55 cents per mile (will check on this exact figure, or check with your accountant)

Also, the current employee share of taxes is 7.65%, and our employer pays the same, totaling 15.3%. On the 1099 for summer school pay, none is taken, so you are responsible for the full share, 15.3%.

Pensionable wages – under 50 - $16,500

                                      over 50 -     $21,500

Paycheck deductions:

In general…

Federal taxes – depends on you file – single, married, # of dependents, etc

Social Security – 6.2% - maxes out at $105,000 for 2010

Medicare – 1.45% - never maxes out

Unemployment - .00425% - maxes out at $114.28

Many tax prep chains will charge you based on how many W-2’s you are submitting. Because many of us receive multiple W-2’s, we may contribute more taxes than necessary, as they are taken out on each W-2. Form NJ-2450 can be filed to get overpayments back.

If you have any other questions, please submit them to any GFT officer, and we will forward all questions on to Patricia.

• Teacher’s Room – need help keeping clean

• Coffee $ better – Milk – sign ups needed

• ADP – Issues with paychecks – Cathy’s sister, a CPA, will be asked to come in to give us a seminar on what comes out of our paycheck, how much, what to check, how to check pension, etc.

• Negotiations – meeting next week – who is negotiating for board? Zukerman, Baruch, Vasquez (alternate)

• Laminating & Poster Machines – Please do not change rolls – ask a trained person!

• Vending machines – still waiting…

• Water – still waiting…(bill was not paid)

• No new business

• Meeting adjourned – 8:25 – Motion: Colleen T. 2^nd: Pam G.

• Meeting opened @ 8:00 AM

• Dorothy D. thanked committee for organizing holiday party

• Water delivered

• Vending machine being worked on

• Snacks at lunch

• Many teachers object to this

• Vents in bathroom – asking for two years – will talk to admin. Again

• Coffee $ - please pay!

• School Shirts – will be coming for teachers – not sure when to wear

• GFT Teacher Scholarship: bring back if possible…thinking of ideas. Ask Elaine about selling Pick 3 lottery tickets

• Holiday Gifts to Admin. – Voted $200. – Yes!

• Website pictures – Many staff members did not want their pictures on website…will inform principal

• Negotiating team – Meeting with board Jan. 13-14, 2010

• Thank you to new Breakfast Committee

• Services for ALK children after school (autistic children spec. ed.) – many outside sources are being paid thousands of $.

• Training is needed
• See Lucy if interested

• Meeting adjourned – 8:30 – Motion: Colleen T. 2^nd: Leigh Ann P.

• Meeting opened @ 8:07 AM

• Introduction of Officers for new members

• President: Dorothy D.
• V.P.: Elaine H. (absent)
• Recording Secretary: Doreen D.
• Corresp. Secretary: Wanda K.
• Treasurer: Cathy S.
• Building Reps: Pat A., Colleen A., Jessica H., Guthrie P., Cheryl S.

• Sign up for Committees
  
  • Breakfast, etc.

• Check pay stubs

• Some issues on deductions
• Check gross amount
• Some problems found last year by various members

• Health coverage for young adults of members
  
  • Horizon is giving some members a hard time (must fill out lots of paperwork, etc.) for children between 18-23 who are not full time students. Question: has coverage changed? Looking into it…

• New position created – taking the place of shadows from private companies. Will be covered under contract.

• Electrician needed for teacher’s room for adding toaster ovens, computers, etc. Another vending machine will be added with snacks/drinks.

• Our poster machine is locked in the copy room. We are working on access to this room.

• A member heard our DRA’s will be sent out for copies.

• Laminating paper needed

• Vote: Furniture to be purchased for teacher’s room – spend $200. Or less – all in favor – yes!

New Business

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PTO – Rosa told us about new officers – 2 new parents are Pres./VP, Rosa B. Secretary, Anna T. Treasurer

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Sunshine Club Breakfast – Friday, 9/25 in teacher’s room

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Vote: Food to be provided by GFT for dinner for Meet the Teacher night for members – 100% yes

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Raffle prizes – Liz R., Dorothy D., Gina

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Wanda K. read thank you card from Bob R. on retirement thanks

Meeting adjourned – 8:25 Cathy S., Jessica H.

www.senatenj.com/index.php/tomkean/senate-leaders-promise-swift-action-on-bipartisan-pension-reform-bills/5350

One of the most vital functions of a Union is to prevent management from intimidating employees.  Nowhere is this more important than in closed-door meetings when supervisors attempt to coerce employees into a confession of wrongdoing.

The right of employees to have the presence of union representatives during investigatory interviews was announced by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1975 in NLRB vs. J. Weingarten, Inc.  Since that case involved a clerk being investigated by the Weingarten Company, these rights have become known as the Weingarten rights.

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