September ushers in the beginning of Autumn, local harvest festivals, and our annual service ratings.  The annual service rating is important as it is connected to your Step increase in January.  An "overall good or better" will grant you the Step increase (no rating given will also grant the Step increase).  However, if you receive an "overall less than good" rating you can be denied your step increase ("less than good" = 1 Unsatisfactory mark or 2 Fair marks)

There are also a few procedures surrounding the service rating...of course this year may be a little different than in years past, so here a few things about conducting service ratings this year.

Our service ratings require that the immediate supervisor meet and discuss the rating with the employee.  Due to COVID/teleworking, reviews do not need to be done in person, we will accept a meeting conducted via Zoom/Teams.  If your supervisor wants to meet in person and you are hesitant or unable to do so, please feel free to request a Zoom/Teams conference. 

Also, our service ratings require that the employee signs the document acknowledging that they have seen the document and discussed it.  We will accept an email communication from the employee as acknowledgement of the requirements and the physical signature can be obtained at a later time.

It is still expected that the direct supervisor sign the document prior to review and that the appointing authority also signs the document in a timely manner.

If you receive 1 Unsatisfactory mark or 2 Fair marks, the rating should be contested so please contact a steward (or the A&R Office 860 953 1316 or the A&R Chief Steward Patrick Lamb plamb@andr.org).

Often times, employees are upset that, this year, they were not reviewed as being as stellar as in years past, yet all marks are above the line; in most cases, this is not contestable/greiveable, but you can talk to a steward about it, in some cases there is an unacceptable reason for the downgrade that goes beyond just the supervisors annual assessment.

Lastly, the Top Step Payment is not contingent upon the service rating.

Help stop the spread by reporting COVID-19 cases or unsafe working conditions on your campus.

https://www.stopthespreadtx.school/

https://forms.gle/4pZSts7v7y7nDRN5A

After reviewing the video NISD posted for the community, we received a lot of concerns from members that the information being shared wasn't accurate. This affects the health and safety of our campuses and community, so please answer this survey as honestly as possible. No personal identifiers will be shared with the district. However, we may contact you for more information or updates. 

Thank you, 

Your Northside AFT Team

All members should be aware that our Healthcare Open Enrollment period is occurring now and will remain open through the month end of September.

This is your (only) opportunity to change your healthcare plan until July 2021 (with the exception of life changes like birth of a child, etc).   Also remember, if you were recently divorced or your kids "aged" out of the healthcare plan, make sure you remove them as dependents to your plan.

A&R has a couple of steward vacancies we are looking to fill and we need the next generation of union stewards to step forward.  Our primary coverage priorities are at: DAS, DRS, DDS, and DMV.  If you are an A&R member and interested in becoming a steward (especially at one of the listed agencies),  send a: (1) cover letter; (2) a résumé; and (3) the names and phone numbers of two A&R members in the applicant’s agency to serve as character references.

Please send your application either by email to plamb@andr.org or by mail, attention Patrick Lamb, Chief Steward at A&R, 805 Brook Street, Rocky Hill, CT    06067.

Published by the Clearwater TRIF UNIT

Click to Read the Fall 2020 Issue of A C.U.T. Above

Delegates to the AFT Vermont convention ratified the platform for the 2021-22 legislative session. The platform includes:

RC 43 President , Felicia Bruce, has been recognized by the Florida Alliance of Retired Americans, FLARA, as having made service to others a key part of her life.  She has served RC 43 as VP for several terms and in July made the transition to President.

"It is the responsibility of everyone, regardless of if you are a teacher, a school principal, or school committee member, to ensure the safest school environment possible, especially in the middle of a Pandemic that has already killed nearly 200,000 people in this nation," said Nicole Reminder, President of the North Attleboro Federation of Teachers. "Why has the district not released an assessment of the HVAC for the public to see?"