On Tuesday, November 29, we will hold our 3rd RA meeting of the school year. Please let your rep know of any issues you would like brought up at the RA meeting or at my meeting with the Superintendent next week.
Also, you recently should have received the November edition of 'Maine Educator.' Please consider cutting out the beige 'pledge card' and mailing it to the MEA. The front page article is a good summary of the incremental (but hopefully not inexorable) erosion of wages and benefits for teachers.
Thanks. Margaret
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Officers and other Board positions
Good morning!
As the school year winds down I am pleased to announce that we now have a full slate of officers and board members.
Nancy Harnois has graciously offered to share her expertise with us and is stepping in for the second year of the previously vacant VP term.
Gail Ryder and Jerry Hunter had no opposition once they threw their hats into the ring for re-election as Secretary and Treasurer, respectively.
Jamie Watson has stepped up as our new Grievance Chair, a position which will be vacant in a matter of days due to Sally Beatty's retirement.
Thank you all for a great year. Margaret
As the school year winds down I am pleased to announce that we now have a full slate of officers and board members.
Nancy Harnois has graciously offered to share her expertise with us and is stepping in for the second year of the previously vacant VP term.
Gail Ryder and Jerry Hunter had no opposition once they threw their hats into the ring for re-election as Secretary and Treasurer, respectively.
Jamie Watson has stepped up as our new Grievance Chair, a position which will be vacant in a matter of days due to Sally Beatty's retirement.
Thank you all for a great year. Margaret
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Professional Certification Action Plan (PCAP - formerly PRP)
Some folks have reported having difficulty completing the online form - and we all need to do it for re-certification!
Here are the directions I was given for PDX log-in:
http://pdexpress.spsd.org/pdexpress/login.aspx
ID: *******
Password: *******
Go to "My Pages", "Plans", "Start a New Plan", "Select a School Year" (You can choose 2011 or 2012 from the drop-down, your choice), select the plan format - for high school this is "High School (Gr. 9-12) Professional Certification Action Plan (PCAP)2" - then begin your entry. It follows the same format as the paper PCAP (formerly known as the PRP). If you have any questions while entering, please save it and then contact your certification contact for help.
Here are the directions I was given for PDX log-in:
http://pdexpress.spsd.org/pdexpress/login.aspx
ID: *******
Password: *******
Go to "My Pages", "Plans", "Start a New Plan", "Select a School Year" (You can choose 2011 or 2012 from the drop-down, your choice), select the plan format - for high school this is "High School (Gr. 9-12) Professional Certification Action Plan (PCAP)2" - then begin your entry. It follows the same format as the paper PCAP (formerly known as the PRP). If you have any questions while entering, please save it and then contact your certification contact for help.
Monday, May 16, 2011
MEA-RA update - courtesy of Tom Major
We heard from Steve Crouse (MEA lobbyist), Josh Tardy (former Republican minority leader of the House, now a consultant working with us), and Sandy Mathieson (Executive Director of MePERS).
They told us that the budget generally, including the Governor's proposals for your health insurance and your pension system, has been sent to the Appropriations Committee. They only have a couple of weeks left to finish a budget and get it passed by a two-thirds vote. Deals are being cut every day.
Contact legislators weekly to remind them of your issues and priorities.
You may have talked to your legislator a dozen times already. You may be confident that your rep knows how you feel, and that your senator is tired of hearing from you. But the day you don't put your message back in front of them is the day that they cave in to someone else...
Let me offer this: if anyone wants specifics, contact me. But you don't need to discuss specifics with your reps and senators. Instead, just tell them that you don't want the Governor's tax cuts to be funded by a surtax on your pension. You don't want cost of living adjustments to be permanently reduced to 2%. You don't want our health insurance (a system that operates efficiently and well) to be broken up.
They told us that the budget generally, including the Governor's proposals for your health insurance and your pension system, has been sent to the Appropriations Committee. They only have a couple of weeks left to finish a budget and get it passed by a two-thirds vote. Deals are being cut every day.
Contact legislators weekly to remind them of your issues and priorities.
You may have talked to your legislator a dozen times already. You may be confident that your rep knows how you feel, and that your senator is tired of hearing from you. But the day you don't put your message back in front of them is the day that they cave in to someone else...
Let me offer this: if anyone wants specifics, contact me. But you don't need to discuss specifics with your reps and senators. Instead, just tell them that you don't want the Governor's tax cuts to be funded by a surtax on your pension. You don't want cost of living adjustments to be permanently reduced to 2%. You don't want our health insurance (a system that operates efficiently and well) to be broken up.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Retirement info from the MEA
RETIREMENT
RETIREES OF LEGAL AGE: According to information provided by the Maine Public Employees Retirement System to potential retirees at retirement seminars, as long as a person is of legal age to retire, they can have conversations with their employer about being rehired and they can go back to work immediately after their retirement date.
EARLY RETIREES: The 30-day break in service applies only to those who are seeking early retirement. Early retirees are also prohibited from having conversations with their employer about returning to work prior to their retirement. Early retirees are restricted to 90 days of work per year.
LINKS TO IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Ultimately the best place to get information on these issues is from MPERS. Their website is here and more specific information on retiring and being rehired is here. A much more concise explanation is here.
RETIREES OF LEGAL AGE: According to information provided by the Maine Public Employees Retirement System to potential retirees at retirement seminars, as long as a person is of legal age to retire, they can have conversations with their employer about being rehired and they can go back to work immediately after their retirement date.
EARLY RETIREES: The 30-day break in service applies only to those who are seeking early retirement. Early retirees are also prohibited from having conversations with their employer about returning to work prior to their retirement. Early retirees are restricted to 90 days of work per year.
LINKS TO IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Ultimately the best place to get information on these issues is from MPERS. Their website is here and more specific information on retiring and being rehired is here. A much more concise explanation is here.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
'Proposed rollbacks in retirement & health insurance'
Here is an article from the most recent MEA Newsbrief regarding 'Proposed rollbacks in retirement & health insurance." I recommend that you call, email and/or write letters to your state reps and senators if you would like them to vote against the following proposals:
• Retirees would have their pensions frozen for an additional three years. Benefits have been frozen for two years and this is an extension from 2011 through 2013. Future increases in benefits provided by the cost-of-living adjustment would be capped at 2% - a reduction from the current cap of 4%.
This means that retired teachers living on fixed incomes will have their benefits frozen for five years while all their living expenses continue to escalate, and the only possible relief will be a 2% increase starting in 2014.
In addition, the state's contribution for retiree heath insurance would be frozen for two years (2011-13) and then capped at 4% thereafter. At age 65 those who are Medicare eligible must switch from their MEA Benefits Trust health insurance plan to the State plan in order to receive the 45% payment.
This reneges on the state's promise of paying for 45% of an individual premium. Retirees will be forced to increase their contributions or see their health plans erode over time through increased co-pays or decreased coverage.
• Current teachers will be required to contribute an additional 2% of their salary to MePERS and those retiring after Jan. 1, 2012 will have to reach age 65 with 10 years of service before they are eligible for the 45% retiree health benefit. Once retired they would have their benefits reduced as described above.
Teachers are being asked to pay a 2% payroll tax to balance the books and provide tax breaks. A veteran teacher earning $40,000 would take a pay cut of $800 or more per year for the rest of her career. Her retirement benefits will be cut and, if she retires before she reaches the age of 65, she loses a $3,000 health insurance benefit each year until she reaches 65.
Currently, teachers pay a 7.65% contribution to MePERS and 1.45% for Medicare for a total of 9.1%. This tax hike increases the total employee contribution to 11.1%. By way of comparison, private employees pay only 7.65% for both Social Security and Medicare.
• Those teachers who are not vested (fewer than five years' service as of July 1, 2011 or the implementation date of the budget) and new hires will suffer all the rollbacks described above, plus their "normal" retirement age without penalty would be increased from 62 to 65. And, the health insurance benefit will be delayed until age 65.
LePage's budget is a draft document and will have to go through the legislative process for amendment and adoption before it is enacted. If it is processed by the end of March, it can pass with simple majorities in both houses and become effective July 1, 2011.
After April 1 the budget needs two-thirds majorities to become effective July 1, 2011.
• Retirees would have their pensions frozen for an additional three years. Benefits have been frozen for two years and this is an extension from 2011 through 2013. Future increases in benefits provided by the cost-of-living adjustment would be capped at 2% - a reduction from the current cap of 4%.
This means that retired teachers living on fixed incomes will have their benefits frozen for five years while all their living expenses continue to escalate, and the only possible relief will be a 2% increase starting in 2014.
In addition, the state's contribution for retiree heath insurance would be frozen for two years (2011-13) and then capped at 4% thereafter. At age 65 those who are Medicare eligible must switch from their MEA Benefits Trust health insurance plan to the State plan in order to receive the 45% payment.
This reneges on the state's promise of paying for 45% of an individual premium. Retirees will be forced to increase their contributions or see their health plans erode over time through increased co-pays or decreased coverage.
• Current teachers will be required to contribute an additional 2% of their salary to MePERS and those retiring after Jan. 1, 2012 will have to reach age 65 with 10 years of service before they are eligible for the 45% retiree health benefit. Once retired they would have their benefits reduced as described above.
Teachers are being asked to pay a 2% payroll tax to balance the books and provide tax breaks. A veteran teacher earning $40,000 would take a pay cut of $800 or more per year for the rest of her career. Her retirement benefits will be cut and, if she retires before she reaches the age of 65, she loses a $3,000 health insurance benefit each year until she reaches 65.
Currently, teachers pay a 7.65% contribution to MePERS and 1.45% for Medicare for a total of 9.1%. This tax hike increases the total employee contribution to 11.1%. By way of comparison, private employees pay only 7.65% for both Social Security and Medicare.
• Those teachers who are not vested (fewer than five years' service as of July 1, 2011 or the implementation date of the budget) and new hires will suffer all the rollbacks described above, plus their "normal" retirement age without penalty would be increased from 62 to 65. And, the health insurance benefit will be delayed until age 65.
LePage's budget is a draft document and will have to go through the legislative process for amendment and adoption before it is enacted. If it is processed by the end of March, it can pass with simple majorities in both houses and become effective July 1, 2011.
After April 1 the budget needs two-thirds majorities to become effective July 1, 2011.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
February RA meeting-Tue. 2/15
The February meeting of the SPTA representative assembly will take place on Tuesday, February 15 at 3:45 in Room 117 at SPHS (weather permitting!) All members are welcome to attend, though only reps may vote. If you have topics that you would like brought up at this or future meetings, please discuss them with your building rep. so that he/she may bring to the team.
Thanks. Margaret
Thanks. Margaret
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