Republicans Declare War on Educators!!

Here we go folks.  Get ready to do battle.  A slew of anti-teacher legislation is on a fast track in Lansing.

• Sen. Randy Richardville introducing Right to Teach legislation
• House Bill 4929 passes and would prohibit school districts from deducting union dues from your paycheck
• SB 1618 (Pavlov) if passed would privatize teachers and eliminate cap on charter schools
• SB 593 if passed would force new teacher hires into a define benefit retirement plan
• SB 619 expand cyber charter schools removing all restrictions and caps on the number and operation of them
• SB 620 if passed would allow parents or teachers by a 51% vote turn their local public school into a charter school
• Rumor is (no bill yet) there is movement afoot to eliminate health care for teacher retirees!!

And the list goes on and on.  In passing HB 4929, Rep. Haveman (R-Holland), sponsor of the bill, said the legislation isn’t an attack on teachers. “It allows them to have more money in their pockets and that’s a good thing.”
Are you kidding??  What does he think we are going to do with the money, go out and buy a car?  Following this Republican logic—does that mean the 3 percent tax on pensions and the 20 percent contribution to health care are bad things?


Then there is Sen. Randy Richardville.  He doesn't even try to hide behind the argument that a Right to Work (for less) law for teachers only would somehow be good for kids and good for reforming education.  He was on Tim Skubic's Off the Record show and stated afterwards to reporters, "I've come to a point where I've seen that I do not believe that the teachers union represents teachers well at all, nor does it represent the students. What they've been doing is working hard, twisting arms and putting us in places that we can't afford to be."
According to Gongwer News Service, he went on to call teachers "more than greedy" and said the MEA was now about "big-paid, high-honcho people. 
He has blatantly stated the MEA needs to stop the recall efforts against Republican legislators in Michigan.  The "Right to Teach" bill is political payback, pure and simple!  This is also a brutal example of an elected official abusing his position and power to advance a personal and party philosophy against a specific organization that differs in their approach to improving education in Michigan. 

SB 1618, Sen. Pavlov thinks allowing private companies to come into a school, fire all the teachers, then rehire them (at a significantly reduced salary), or simply hire all new teachers is somehow going improve the education of your students!
All of this flies in the face of what our democratically elected officials are in government to do, represent the people, period!  If you value your way of life, if you value your position to educate children, then you must let these people in Lansing know you will not stand for this any long.  Folks, they are out to destroy public education any way they can.  And if we let them win, the biggest losers will be our students!   Read more about all of this at mea.org and call, e-mail, or write Richardville, Pavlov, Sen. Walker, Rep. McMaster, and Rep. Foster.   Please "cc" or copy any correspondance you do to MEA President Steve Cook at scook@mea.org.  Seems that several Republican leaders have publically stated MEA members have not contacted them in opposition to this junk or members have stated they are in favor of what they are doing.  Lets set the record straight, send a copy of your correspondance to President Cook.

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East Jordan Needs Our Help

East Jordan teachers are in a crisis.  The teachers have offered to make concessions similar to our contract regarding salary freezes, co-pays on insurance, among others.  The board has rejected their offers and said there proposals did not "offer enough" in cuts and/or savings.  If it wasn't enough, then what is?  So far the district won't say.  However, they did hire an attorney at $30,000 dollars a throw to negotiate for the district.
We need to attend the board meeting Monday, September 19 in East Jordan at 5:30pm in the high school.  I suspect many of you know people who work at East Jordan schools, have friends there, or know employees at Boyne City schools who have spouses working there.  It's time to support our friends and neighbors in need!  If you can't make it Monday night, call the board office at 536-3131 and ask for the time, meeting place, and directions on how to get there.  Even if you plan to go, call anyway.  The idea is make them aware that people in the surrounding districts care about what happens in E.J., are watching, and getting involved.  If we were in the same situation (remember two years ago?) I would like to think East Jordan staff would come and support us.  Remember, attend and call 536-3131 for info on the meeting.

How the Middle Class got Screwed

Critical vote... Your presence in vital

We will be meeting Thursday, June 30 @ 5pm in Carol Johnston's room.  Hopefully, we will have a contract to ratify.  If there are any changes, your negotiating team will contact you.

Capital update: Senate considering anti-collective bargaining bills

A four-bill package that would undo collective bargaining and tenure laws remains in the state Senate, where MEA leaders and staff are working behind-the-scenes to explain the real impact of the legislation.

House Bills 4625-4628 would allow districts to fire experienced teachers and other employees for almost any reason, even if it is has nothing to do with job performance. If you don't know yet how House Bills 4625-4628 would impact you, check out our new Q-and-A.

The state House approved the bills last week and proponents are pushing for a speedy vote in the Senate. The Senate Education Committee will meet at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday to take up the bills.

We need you to act NOW to help stop these bills. Contact your state senator and urge him/her to vote NO. The legislative assault will not end unless you make your voice heard!



Reminder: Many school districts have policies about communicating with legislators on school time and equipment, so wait until you are away from school to contact your legislators or use your personal cell phone when you are off duty.

House advances anti-tenure bills

The GOP-led state House today advanced a four-bill package to overhaul tenure and collective bargaining laws.
The legislation -- House Bills 4625, 4626, 4627, and 4628 -- would, in fact, dismantle tenure AND collective bargaining of most subjects currently decided at the local bargaining table, including placement of employees, evaluation systems, discharge/discipline policies, and more.
The state House today advanced them to the order of third reading. We expect the House to take a final vote on the bills tomorrow! Contact your state representative today. Tell him/her to vote no on House Bills 4625, 4626, 4627, and 4628.

MEA strongly opposes these bills. MEA is working with lawmakers on changes to these bills that threaten your tenure and bargaining rights. We support changes to the tenure process, including addressing administrator training and reducing the time and cost of tenure cases.

Your Calls Have Delayed the Vote

The state House is expected to vote as early as Wednesday on a package of bills that would eliminate teacher tenure and ban all school employees from bargaining about a broad range of subjects related to their working environments and their students' learning conditions.
Late Monday, we learned that a vote could come this week on the bills -- House Bills 4625, 4626, 4627, and 4628. MEA members, who responded with hundreds of phone calls and e-mails to legislators, helped stall the vote, but action is still imminent.

Among many other provisions, this legislation would increase the probationary period to five years, allow tenured teachers to be moved back to probation after evaluation, remove reasonable and just cause protections, eliminate seniority-based placements. The bills also extend far beyond tenure, banning collective bargaining of evaluation systems, discharge/discipline policies, and more.

We need you to act NOW to stop these bills. Contact your state representative and urge him/her to vote NO. The legislative assault will not end unless you make your voice heard immediately!

Reminder: Many school districts have policies about communicating with legislators on school time and equipment, so wait until you are away from school to contact your legislators or use your personal cell phone when you are off duty.