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Strategic Action News
On May 12th the MCCC will hold a lobby day in support of bills and issues that are very important to the lives of many of our members,
both locally and statewide. Members from 15 community colleges are
>> expected to lobby legislators on this date and bring attention to
>> concerns related to adjunct faculty rights and retirement credit for
>> former consultant (?03?) employees. If you are either an adjunct
>> faculty at this college or a former ?03? employee (MCCC, AFSCME, or
>> administrator) who now has a benefited position in one of the 15
>> community colleges, please come to the State House on Thursday, May
>> 12th to rally for your particular issues. Also, any support from
>> other MCCC employees at this rally will certainly be appreciated. See
>> the details below:
>>
>> ? Lobby Day is scheduled from 9 am to 4 pm on May 12th. Appointments
>> will be scheduled with legislators on the Joint Committee on Public
>> Service. Rally participants are asked to make a commitment of several
>> hours on that day.
>> ? Members will first meet in Room #348, next to the House Chambers,
>> and then go to appointments in groups, prepared to communicate key
>> points, tell their stories, and listen to legislators. Participants
>> will also have time to visit their own legislators and can make those
>> appointments ahead of time or just drop in and speak with the
>> legislators or aides.
>> ? A packet of information will be available for all participants. A
>> script of talking points will be available on both adjunct issues and
>> ?03? issues. A pamphlet consistent of ?03? narratives will be
>> complied for this event and future lobbying.
>> ? Adjuncts will be focusing on Senate Bill #1535 related to health
>> insurance benefits and House Bill #189 relating to pension rights.
>> ? Former ?03? consultant employees now in the state employment
>> system will be lobbying in support of a new bill filed in April 2005
>> by Senator Joan Menard. This bill, to be numbered in the next week,
>> proposes retirement buyback credit for certain employees in
>> Massachusetts Community Colleges.
>> ? Parking is recommended at the Boston Common underground Garage.
>> MCCC member may ask local chapters for reimbursement for mileage and
>> parking, but need to have receipts.
>>
>> If you can attend this lobby and/or want to be involved in supporting
>> these issues in the future, please contact the appropriate person
>> below and let her know your contact information and what hours you
>> will attend:
>> ? Adjunct health insurance and pensions benefits:
>> Contact Sandy Howell at: sanj535@charter.net
>> ? Retirement credit for ?03? consultant experience:
>> Contact Donnie McGee at: dmcgee@bristol.mass.edu
>> Please see attachments on the new ?03? bill and a related FAQ sheet.
>>
>> Thank you for your interest and your participation. I will keep you
>> apprised of the related issues and outcomes. Note: if these issues
>> are important to you, please get involved and stay informed.
>>
>> Donnie McGee, Strategic Action Regional Coordinator for MCCC
>> Bristol Community College, 508-678-2811, x2962
Latest bargaining news pdf
MCCC "Tell Mitt" Campaign: April and May 2005
Week of April 18
- MTA postcards mailed to chapter presidents; distribution plan e-mailed to chapter leaders
- Draft letters to be signed by the college president and trustees:
- One letter signed by college presidents will be used in publicity campaign
- Another letter signed by trustees will be sent to local Chambers of Commerce
- E-mail informational flyer to provide members with an historical overview of the classification funding saga
- Get ready chapter phone trees and e-mail networks
- Ongoing activities : Romney Watch picketing, Picketing at colleges
Week of April 25
- Postcard Campaign: 9,000 cards mailed to the governor
- College president and trustees letters sent to Romney and chambers of commerce
- Participate in State House Lobby day organized by the Associated
- Students of Massachusetts
- Call BHE if the contract extension has not been resubmitted to Gov. Romney
- Ongoing activities : Romney Watch picketing, Picketing at colleges
Week of May 2
- Conduct statewide Vote of No Confidence in Gov. Romney with accompanying media publicity of this event
- Repeat the vote at the MCCC Delegate Assembly on May 7
- Ongoing activities : Romney Watch picketing, Picketing at colleges
Week of May 9
- 10 Minute Walkout: At an exact time TBA, faculty and students will walk out of classes and hold spontaneous protests about the contract funding crisis. Media publicity will be coordinated for this event.
- Distribute 1,000 postcards at the MTA Annual Meeting
- Ongoing activities : Romney Watch picketing, Picketing at colleges
Week of May 16
- Ad campaign: details TBA
- Ongoing activities : Romney Watch picketing, Picketing at colleges
Weeks of May 23 and May 30
- Commencement picketing and other activities
- Ad campaign continues
- Ongoing activities : Romney Watch picketing, Picketing at colleges
April 14, 2005
SAC activist Donnie McGee and I met yesterday with Rep. John Quinn, D-Dartmouth to discuss his willingness to sponsor a House budget amendment to amend Chapter 150E. This is exciting news since it will allow us to push this critical issue in a public, high profile way. If adopted, future MCCC/BHE collective bargaining agreements would be signed by the union, the Chancellor and the Board of Higher Education and then go directly to the legislature for funding. The language of Quinn's amendment will largely parallel House bill 530 filed last fall by the Mass. Federation of Teachers. This bill has been endorsed by the MCCC and recently by the MTA Board. Follow this link to read the language of HB 530.
http://www.mass.gov/legis/bills/house/ht00/ht00530.htm
It is critical that we persuade as many Representatives as possible to co-sponsor Quinn's amendment before Friday at noon. This is where your participation is vital. Please call your state rep. TODAY, Thursday or Friday morning. Ask him or her to call Rep. Quinn's office to co-sponsor the the Chapter 150E Amendment. If your rep. agrees to this request, please email this news to me. We will keep track of the results and report it to the membership.
Tell them the story about your signed contract extension not being funded. Ask them to fix chapter 150E so that this never happens again. Read the attached history of our classification saga to prepare for any questions they may have about the contract.
Follow this link to find your reps name and phone number:
http://www.mass.gov/legis/legis.htm
Rep. Quinn's number is 617-722-2370. A call to thank him is certainly in order.
Out of state residents should use non college email and write to all your local reps. Thanks for your help. Let's generate hundreds of calls beginning now. Your participation empowers us all.
Joe LeBlanc
P.S. The regular weekly update will follow later today. I am off to
Boston to sign the resubmission of our contract extension. It should be on the Governor's desk within days.
March 17, 2005
Dear Colleagues,
Greetings from your Strategic Action Committee.
It has been a great disappointment to us, as well as to you; the direction that our vigilance and commitment for the restoration of our well deserved points (steps) has taken.
I want you to know that a tremendous amount of energy and dedication has been expended, on the part of our MCCC leadership, to make this rightful equity become a reality.
However, this news brings to fruition what we have long believed. The possibility of the veto and override was always there. And the possibility that even with all of our work,.. this would not happen as we had hoped. I do want you to know that We Believe that We Will Prevail and we will not be denied what is rightfully due us.
It is with thoughtful consideration that we give you hope. We will prevail and we will win this long, drawn out battle for respect and for payment for the work that we do each and every day for our students and our colleges. We must stand together, and be willing to organize for a battle that will bring home to us.. what is owed to us* and long overdue!
It has been an uphill climb, however, you should know that we have legislators and college presidents, who admire what we do, have reassured us and have worked with us throughout this trying period.
We will bring equity back into our lives and we will lift up the moral that has been pummeled along the way. Hope is not gone..The payment of our points(steps) will happen. Together we must make it happen. WE must be ready to take a stand and join together to make this happen. We need each other and should not allow anyone to deter us from what is rightfully ours.
Along with this email, we want to report to you on the status of the initiatives for the '03 Bill and the Bills for Part-Time Health Insurance and Part-Time Retirement Benefits. Steering committees have been formed and dates for massive lobby days have been set.
Sandy is organizing the part-time initiatives. The Part-Time Lobby day, at the State House, is May 12th.
Roberta is organizing the Lobby Day at the State House for the '03 initiative. It is April 24th.
Please help us with these initiatives. They have a direct impact on many of our colleagues. We will keep you updated as plans move along.
Thank you for your support and your willingness to join together. Remember, a union is not one of us *but all of us.. United *We can make it happen!
Sandy Howell (Cutler)
Roberta Albano
The MCCC/SAC is planning Lobby Days later this Spring at the State House for 03 Retirement Buyback and Part-time Benefits.
A Steering Committee will raise the profile for benefits for our part-time members. Sandy Howell DCEmemberis coordinating the Lobby Day. If you are interested in serving on the committee or providing testimony please contact showell@stcc.edu
STCC Professor Robera Albano and Bristol Professor Donnie McGee are coordinating the Lobby Day in the later Spring for the 03 Retirement Buyback.
The Steering committee will work to buyback years that are long overdue.
Please contact Roberta Albano at ralbano@stcc.edu or Donnie McGee at bristol@cox.net.
Dear colleagues,
We hope that you are enjoying the wonderful days of summer.
The SAC steering committee has been making weekly trips to the State House. Our main focus has been points....points....points...
Thus far, we have met with all of the key committee leaders in the House and in the Senate. We have also had profitable meetings with the Senate President. Boston has been a city of interesting political activity.
Our governor continues to investigate creative methods of dismantling collective bargaining..but our quest for what is "right" moves on despite the darkness emanating from the top towards state employees.
Through all of these meetings, in Boston and in-district, we have gathered these personal and inter-personal insights.
- Most of our legislators are good, honest and altruistic people. They work for the good of the commonwealth.
- The community colleges are well respected by the legislators
- To be effective in obtaining our just cause we must continually be proactive at the State House.
- This is a huge undertaking but in the end makes a difference.
- There will be a time when we all must move with the same voice.
- We must support legislators who support us.
And finally..we should be proud of our union leadership and the work done on our behalf..
I have a positive feeling regarding our long overdue points.
The work continues.. and the word on the long overdue missing part of our classification study should be known to us by the end of July.
We will email when we receive news.
Yours in solidarity,
Sandy and Roberta
We urge you to attend the Leiglsative
Breakfast scheduled on Friday, April 23rd in Building
17, room 317 from 8:00-10:00 a.m. Please do not hesitate
to stop by for a short time and join us for breakfast.
This is an opportunity to meet our legislators and
voice our concerns. You can send me an e-mail or call
my ext. 4879.
The legislators who will attend the breakfast are:
Senator Knapik
Senator Melconian
Representative Rogeness
Represenative Kane
Represenative Buoniconti
Representative Cheryl Rivera
Representative Petrolati
The agenda and talking points will include:
Contracts/Points
Pension Issues
Higher Education Funding
SAC Coordinators
Roberta Albano
Sandra Cutler
Follow this link to read
the Governor's proposed budget cuts:
http://www.mass.edu/new/html_docs/reorgCostEff.pdf
The document outlines severe cuts for all the community colleges. Your local
efforts to lobby legislators at in-district meetings, letter writing, etc. will
help us in convincing the House and Senate to reject Romney's plan.
In solidarity,
Joe LeBlanc and Sandy Cutler
MCCC SAC co-chairs
Boston Globe story provides a good
overview of the governor's proposal for higher education
The Grinch Who Stole From
The Poor
To Give To The Rich Strategic Action/Co-chair,
Sandy Cutler
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