Negotiations Update

Welcome to Jen Myers (Barrett), our newest Negs Team member!
Initial survey results are available online at MHFT.org. Thanks to all who took the time to respond.

Our Negotiations Openers letter will be presented at the Feb. 10 MHUSD board meeting at 6pm at the district office. We are inviting all MHFT members to attend the board meeting in solidarity with your negotiations team. It is a powerful message when many teachers are in the audience during this important public meeting.

Debra Perry, President of AFT Healthcare-Maryland and Executive Director Michael McNally met February 4th with Governor Hogan’s representative Cindy Kollner, Executive Director of Department of Budget and Management to begin negotiations over proposals that would help the Governor balance the budget and still honor the agreements in the existing MOU executed between the Union and the O’Malley administration before they left office.

Maria Mathias, President of MPEC and Executive Director Michael McNally met February 4th with Governor Hogan’s representative Cindy Kollner, Executive Director of Department of Budget and Management to begin negotiations over proposals that would help the Governor balance the budget and still honor the agreements in the existing MOU executed between the Union and the O’Malley administration before they left office.

(Baton Rouge – February 5, 2015) A rising movement calling for parents to opt their children out of taking high-stakes tests is just the latest sign of chaos in the Baton Rouge education bureaucracy, and a signal that the state education board must take decisive action and give parents, teachers, and local school districts a sense of direction, according to the Louisiana Federation of Teachers.

Anthem Inc, one of the medical insurance providers for state employees, was the victim of a security breach.  It is not yet known if any of our members were impacted.  We will post additional information as it becomes available.

Currently, the best source for information can be obtained by visiting the website Anthem created for its customers: http://www.anthemfacts.com/

Are charter school teachers and staff in danger of losing their hard fought union rights? Oppose Changes to the Charter School Law.

Charter schools play an important role in public education in Baltimore City. One main reason why Maryland ranks so high when it comes to education is because we have charter schools that work. Maryland has consistently high public school rankings in large part because of our strong charter school law.

The election committee for EMUFT is seeking nominations for the offices of President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary and Grievance Officer. If you would like to nominate yourself or someone you know who is a member of the union, then please do so by sending an email to emuft9102@gmail.com, no later than Thursday, February 19th, 2015.

Elections will be held on campus on Friday, March 13, 2015. More details on this will follow. Please look for the list of nominees in the coming few weeks and plan to come vote on the 13th.

You can DOWNLOAD a Sample Retirement Letter by clicking on the link below:

retirement_letter_sample.pdf

Help reverse the Education Budget Cuts! Help save public Education in Baltimore City. Our jobs are at stake!

Governor Hogan's proposed budget cuts to education would be a catastrophe--especially to Baltimore City. Under the Governor's budget, Baltimore City Public Schools would be cut by $35.5 million dollars, or nearly 4%-- the largest cut by dollars or by percentage of any jurisdiction in the state.

In Baltimore City, a $35.5 million cut could mean: