Important BCEA/ESP Association Meeting

When:  3:30pm Thursday, April 14, 2010

Where:  H.S. Michele Deming's room

As you probably know, MEA Board of Directors is calling on local associations across the state to conduct local votes to provide MEA the authority to initiate crisis activities -- up to and including a job action -- in response to the ongoing legislative crisis in Lansing.

Information will be provided at the meeting to clarify what "crisis activities" are and what it would mean if a job action was called for.  Also, time will be given for discussion and questions.  Provided we have a quorum, members in attendance will vote via paper ballot and results will be forwarded to MEA.  Please mark your calendars and plan to attend.

Legislative Update March 24, 2011

Legislature on break for two weeks

March 24 - Lawmakers recessed today for two weeks without voting on measures that would infringe on collective bargaining and local control. The Legislature returns to session April 12.
At that time, the Senate could vote on House Bill 4152, a bill to freeze wages and benefits when a collective bargaining agreement expires until a new contract takes effect. This would effectively eliminate step raises between contracts and require employees to pay any increased costs of maintaining health insurance and other benefits. The legislation would also prohibit any retroactive increase in wages or benefits after a new contract is signed. MEA opposes this bill -- please contact your state senator NOW and urge him/her to vote NO on House Bill 4152.
And in the House, House Bill 4059, which would prohibit public employers from paying union officials for time conducting union business, is still pending. MEA opposes this bill, too. Please contact your state representative and ask him/her to vote NO on House Bill 4059.
While lawmakers are back home, it's a good time to set up meetings with them or to attend constituent events they have planned in the district. Take time to reach out to your elected leaders -- it's important that they hear from you!

The Fight Is Not Over

Legislature on break for two weeks
Lawmakers recessed on Thursday for two weeks without voting on measures that would infringe on collective bargaining and local control. The Legislature returns to session April 12.
Now, more than ever, you need to stay on top of developments at the Capitol and how they will impact your students, your job, and your community. MEA offers multiple ways for you to keep informed – check out this list of our communication options and choose the one(s) that will help you the most. Read more.

Keep After 'Em!

Legislature on break for two weeks

March 24 - Lawmakers recessed today for two weeks without voting on measures that would infringe on collective bargaining and local control. The Legislature returns to session April 12.
At that time, the Senate could vote on House Bill 4152, a bill to freeze wages and benefits when a collective bargaining agreement expires until a new contract takes effect. This would effectively eliminate step raises between contracts and require employees to pay any increased costs of maintaining health insurance and other benefits. The legislation would also prohibit any retroactive increase in wages or benefits after a new contract is signed. MEA opposes this bill -- please contact your state senator NOW and urge him/her to vote NO on House Bill 4152.
And in the House, House Bill 4059, which would prohibit public employers from paying union officials for time conducting union business, is still pending. MEA opposes this bill, too. Please contact your state representative and ask him/her to vote NO on House Bill 4059.
While lawmakers are back home, it's a good time to set up meetings with them or to attend constituent events they have planned in the district. Take time to reach out to your elected leaders -- it's important that they hear from you!

Keep the Pressure on! Major Bills Moving This Week! Contact your Legislators!!

Another busy week in Lansing -- an overview of key events

Lawmakers plan another busy week in Lansing, where multiple bills are moving that would affect you.
The Senate will consider House Bill 4152, a bill to freeze wages and benefits when a collective bargaining agreement expires until a new contract takes effect. This would effectively eliminate step raises between contracts and require employees to pay any increased costs of maintaining health insurance and other benefits.
The legislation would also prohibit any retroactive increase in wages or benefits after a new contract is signed. MEA opposes this bill. Please contact your state senator immediately to ask him/her to vote NO on House Bill 4152.
Also, this week, the state House is expected to vote on House Bill 4059, which would prohibit public employers from paying union officials for time conducting union business. A few school districts have negotiated paid release time for union representatives -- and MEA believes this issue should be decided at the local level based on local needs. Such joint decisions undoubtedly save time and money by resolving problems sooner. Please contact your representative to urge a NO vote on House Bill 4059.
Other scheduled business includes:

• The House Appropriations School Aid Subcommittee will meet at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday in Room 426 of the Capitol. The panel will take testimony on the proposed school aid budget and also take testimony on a proposal to give half of a per pupil foundation grant to schools that offer just half-day kindergarten.

• The House Oversight, Reform and Ethics Committee meets at noon Tuesday in Room 326 of the Capitol to consider House Bill 4052, a bill that would prohibit the use of taxpayer-funded equipment, supplies, and facilities for union or political activities. MEA opposes the bill.

• The Senate Reforms, Restructuring and Reinventing Committee meets at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday to consider Senate Bill 7. The meeting is in Rooms 402-403 of the Capitol. Senate Bill 7 would require all public employees to pay at least 20 percent of the cost of their health insurance. MEA opposes this bill; the issue should be decided locally. In many instances, public employees have previously sacrificed wages or other benefits to maintain health insurance.

• The Senate Appropriations K-12 School Aid and Education Subcommittee meets at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday in the Senate Appropriations Room at the Capitol to receive public testimony on the proposed school aid budget. Snyder has proposed deep budget cuts for schools.

• The House Education Committee meets at 9 a.m. Wednesday in Room 519 of the House Office Building to consider House Bill 4306. This legislation would require schools to outsource support services.

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Bill to Freeze Wages & Benefits During Negotiations on Fast Track

This bill was pushed by the Michigan Association of School Boards!!

House Bill 4152 passes out of committee--on a fast track in the Senate
HB 4152 was voted out of the Senate Education Committee this week after passing the House last week.
The bill is an outright attack on collective bargaining that would have a devastating financial impact on every teacher, support staff employee and public employees in general.
HB 4152 is an amendment to PERA that caps wages and benefits at the level in effect when a collective bargaining agreement expires and until a new contract is in place. Any benefit cost increases after the contract expired must be paid by employees. The bill also prohibits the school district from implementing any step increases. No retroactivity would be allowed in the new agreement.
The Senate Fiscal Agency Analysis sees the costs savings when it says, "A protracted negotiation period could yield significant savings if step increases were not paid and increased health care costs were passed on to employees during that time."
HB 4152 destroys the idea of good faith bargaining. There's no incentive for a school district to settle in a timely fashion.
Contact your senator with the message that HB 4152 is an outright attack on your right to bargain. The bargaining table can't be a shared playing field when the balance of power is taken away from you. This is just another example of looking for cost savings on the backs of the middle class. It's not right.

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Keep calling, Keep e-mailing!

Anti-labor bills still alive

• Gov. Snyder signed the Emergency Manager bill today that assigns governor-appointed "takeover czars" to manage communities and school districts in financial trouble. The bill destroys local control and collective bargaining rights since this czar can eliminate elected bodies--like school boards--and can void employee contracts.
• The House Education Committee heard testimony on House Bill 4306 after announcing that--as of last night--the bill no longer mandated privatization or acceptance of the lowest bid. However, the bill still requires school districts to bid out support services.
• MEA Lobbyist Dave Stafford testified, addressing the impact privatization has on retirement costs. More than 30,000 current school employees could lose their jobs and the hidden costs of unemployment and retirement are not figured into a private company's bid for services. Currently, those "legacy costs" would be shifted to other employees and school districts.
• A school custodian from Cheboygan and Frasier and the Ottawa ISD Superintendent Karen McPhee also testified in opposition to the bill.  All of them spoke of the redundancy of the bill since school districts can already privatize. McPhee said, "This bill looked reasonable before the creation of the Emergency Manager. This bill strips us of the tools to be fiscally responsible and heads us toward a takeover."
• Committee Chairman Rep. Paul Scott, R-Grand Blanc, and Committee member Rep. Tom McMillan, R-Rochester Hills, often challenged those testifying. During Stafford's testimony, Rep. McMillan informed Stafford that, "Our focus is on the kids," and chastised him for not talking about students. Stafford replied, "Our focus is kids too. We work for the people who care deeply about kids."
• The Senate Reforms, Restructuring and Reinventing Committee heard testimony today on Senate Bill 7. It was pointed out that the bill is punitive and doesn't take into consideration the contributions public employees have already made in terms of wage cuts, and higher copays on benefits. The Committee will hear more testimony next week.
• House Bill 4152, freezing wages and benefits during negotiations for a new contract, passed out of the Senate Education Committee.

Updated March 15, 2011