OEA and WEA New Teacher Membership

Both OEA and WEA held successfull starts to their 2010-11 membership campaigns last week with Weber signing over 30 new members at their breakfast at New Teacher orientation at Orion Jr. High and Ogden signing up 20 at the OEA's luncheon at NTO at the District office. We also held Association Rep training to give our reps their membership materials. We are looking forward to a strong membership year as we work hard to our members salary and benefits in negotiations.

Rick

Ogden Standard-Examiner Supports Federal Money coming to teachers

I was happy to see the Standard-Examiner supporting the infusion of Federal money coming to teachers in their editorial this morning. The legislative leaders have made noise that they might try and block or reassign the money to other budget areas. The federal legislation is quite clear in its objective to be used for rehiring teachers who were laid off, supporting salaries and benefits of classified, licensed and school building administrators. We know that Gov. Herbert is completing the application for the money and we hope that the legislature does not mess with the process as they meet in special session to discuss the funding. Please contact your state legislators and tell them to allow the money to flow to the districts to be used as the congress designated. That is the definition of local control.

Rick

OEA Negotiation Team meets with District Team and Mediator Tuesday

OEA's team met with the district team and our mediator, Lynn Trenbeath, Tuesday for a couple of hours to look at defining the issues, listing our interests and brainstorming options for settlement. We did not schedule another meeting with the idea that the new "jobs bill" money coming from the Feds will help. We have to wait until the legislature meets in special session to allocate the money. We hope they don't screw it up too much.

WEA's team postponed their mediation meetings for the same reasons as above. We are waiting for more info on the fed money.

Stay tuned.

Rick

Federal Aid Perturbs Lawmakers

Last week the legisature met in interim meetings and discussed the "jobs bill" money coming to state public schools. They complained that this is "encroaching on the state's rights". It shouldn't surprise anyone that some of those leading the outcry against accepting the money are Senator Jenkins and Speaker Clark. Of course, the Patrick Henry Caucus (how many times can they deface a true patriot) is crying foul. Hell0oooo....our budgets are bleeding red ink and we need a band aid or a tourniquet even. Please call or email your legislators and say leave our money alone. For Weber and Ogden Districts it could mean $5.6 and $2 million dollars for employee salaries and benefits. We are at impasse in negotiations and anything would help reach agreement. Tell the legislators to "butt out" and allow the Governor (who has said he will apply for the money) to do his job and get some much-needed money into our schools.

rick

OEA President to respond to Standard-Examiner Editorial

OEA's President, Doug Stephens, has responded to the editorial of last Wednesday entitled "No Raises for Teachers". We hope to see it printed this week.

WEA's negotiation team is scheduled to meet with mediator, Lynn Trenbeath, on Tuesday.

OEA's negotiation team will begin mediation with Lynn Trenbeath on Tuesday also.

I will be up on WSU's campus today talking to four groups of new education students and also new student teachers. (over 150 students) I will be promoting student membership in the association. We have evidence that student members become active members when hired.

Rick

Weber New Teachers Breakfast a Success

Members of the WEA Executive Board and Association Building Reps served breakfast to over 80 new hires to the Weber District this morning and we signed up 31 new members. It is a good start to our membership campaign this year.

OEA's negotiation team has agreed to have Lynn Trenbeath serve as our mediator for the upcoming negotiations that starts Tuesday, Aug. 24. Lynn also is working with WEA in their mediation process.

Rick

Guv to apply for federal ed funds; Utah GOP upset

You can read Joseph M. Dougherty entire article at http://www.deseretnews.com/
He writes "The money is coming whether they like it or not, and many of them don't...Governor Gary Herbert plans to apply for the money, which comes from a federal law enacted Aug. 10 that provides funding for Medicaid and education salaries...' It would be foolish for the state of Utah not to accept this funding, which will directly benefit Utah's schoolchildren'...Kory Holdaway (UEA's lobbyist) said,"The value of one-time money isn't as great as ongoing money, but it's $100 million more than we had a week ago." Some Republicans are complaining about the federal money coming with strings attached.

We estimate a funding of $5.6 million for Weber District and over $2 million for Ogden. This money is earmarked for salaries and benefits of classified employees, licensed employees and school administrators. It comes as both of our associations have entered mediation because of the districts failure to honor the payment of our contractual step increments.

Rick