Friday December 20th, all employees who are not on the Top Step of their salary grade will "move up" one step.  Those on the Top Step of their salary grade will receive a Top Step Payment of 2.5%.  For those who don't "math", there is a table near the back of the blue A&R Contract book which calculates the Top Step Payment that you will receive; use the 6/21/2019 table.  Since these are awarded on the first day of the payperiod, they won't be reflected in your paycheck until January 16, 2020. 

A couple of caveats: the Step increase requires a minimum "Good or Better" service rating from September 2019.  The Top Step Payment does not have that requirement, it is now part of the annual salary (based upon a language change we made in the recent contract negotiations).  ACTs/CCTs in a 2 year training class have seperate language, they will move to Salary Grade 15 Step 5 upon completion of 1 year of satisfactory service.

View the current Wage Charts

View the Top Step Payment Table

To endure means “to last for a long time”, to persist, to continue, to hold on, to hold up, or to prevail”.  I preface all of the above to convey the following truth: 

We are enduring challenging times.

Ever since mid-March, we have been on {what may feel like} a merry-go-round of ups and downs dealing with the fear and threat of COVID-19, the unexpected demands of working remotely, the trauma that accompanies the level of social injustice and political unrest in our nation, and now to mention, the tentative reopening of schools while COVID-19 is still labeled as a pandemic. Some are grieving the loss of a loved one due to COVID-19 or other related illnesses. Others are afraid, anxious, and restless from worries of becoming ill, or having to choose between their health/safety vs. staying 100% salaried to cover household costs. Is this you? If not, it could be. In all actuality, it could be any one of us.  Amid all of the above, we are enduring! We are fighting to chart through uncharted terrain. In fact, that makes us pioneers. YES, You, my fellow brother, my fellow sister, are a pioneer! 

I would like you to take this time to think about some of the lessons that you have learned during this time. During this time, I have been reminded of Aristotle’s words, “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts”. In more modern terms, “United we stand, divided we fall”. If anything, these trying times have taught me that “no man is an island”. We need each other. We need to see a smile from someone, hear an encouraging word, and know that we are understood and supported. We need to care for each other, our families, and ourselves. It is my hope that one of your lessons has been to value and appreciate the people and things that truly matter to you, including yourself. Never take time and life for granted! And I add, that we should never take each other for granted. Every member of our union matters. You matter! Your voice matters! Your concerns matter! On behalf of the UACHS AFT LOCAL 6272 Executive Team, we hope you feel supported. Please feel free to contact us with any of your concerns. We are here for you. We will be contacting you soon with updates regarding our tentative re-opening plans in September.

Continue to be safe, stay well, practice social distancing, and wear your mask! In other words, take care of yourself and your family.

In Unity and Solidarity,

Keisha N. Terry, Local 6272 President

Susan Suarez, Local 6272 Vice President

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Social Security COLAs increase. Spring Luncheon form. 

Featured the annual appearance of the Cranford High School Madrigal Choir. 

When we approved the SEBAC 2017 agreement, many in the legislature did not believe that the projected savings from that agreement were real and publicly ambushed the agreement with claims that collective bargaining was rigged and the associated budget savings were false.  As a result, the legislature tasked the Comptroller's Office withcompiling a report to validate (or invalidate) the expected savings from SEBAC 2017.  The Comptroller's Office released the SEBAC Savings Report on 12/10/19.  The SEBAC Savings Report  verified that not only were the projected savings real and acheived, but they exceeded expectations. The expected savings were $700 million in FY18 and $900 million in FY19 for a total 2-year savings of $1.6 billion; ultimately, the savings amounted to $1.7 billion for the 2-year budget cycle, exceeding expectations by over $100 million.  View the report for a breakdown of the savings.

Part-time faculty in the University of Maine System are working under a newly ratified contract that includes a 3 percent raise in pay for 2019-20 and 2020-21. So in this busy season, the Part-time Faculty Association (PATFA) would like to update you about these changes and more.

New members are eligible for $5,000 in free life insurance for one year. This is only availible to new members and must be activated by completing a form within your first 12 months of membership. After the first year this policy is very affordable. 

If you support public education and want to show it, January 13 will be THE DAY. Parents, teachers, administrators, interested community members, support personnel, and all who care about the state of education in The Sunshine State plan to come together to deliver their message.

RSVP to info@northsideaft.net

Please click the link for the Official List of Candidates for the December 12 Executive Board and Trustee Election.  To read the candidate's statements please click here -- Candidate Statements.