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Welcome
to Newsline Online 2008 |
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Thank
you for providing your email address so that NEARI can be more
effective at delivering up-to-the-minute information through Newsline
Online. Please pass this issue on to your colleagues and
remind them to provide us with their e-mail address if they have
not done so already. |
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Message
from NEARI President Larry Purtill |
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The
coming weeks are critical to our members, children and public
education. The RI General Assembly will be attempting to balance
both this year's and next year's budgets, whose combined deficit
could reach $600 million over the next 15 months. The governor
and others have proposed legislation that would negatively impact
not only our children, but also your collective bargaining rights,
and pension and healthcare benefits.
You need to get involved by voicing your
concerns to your local senators and representatives, attending
rallies and becoming active in your local union. Remember, this
is an election year – your voice and vote count! |
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Health
care for retirees |
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Among
the proposals that will be considered as early as this week are
changes to the state retiree health care system, which also impacts
retired teachers who buy their health care from the state of Rhode
Island. We oppose the governor’s proposals. Any changes
to this system will impact future retirement decisions and you
should closely monitor this issue to determine how it might affect
your situation. Look for information on the NEARI
website as we learn more. |
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Pension
Reform Study Committee |
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Speaker
of the House William Murphy assigned a 19-person committee to
review Rhode Island's public pension systems. Bob Walsh, NEARI
executive director, is one of only three union representatives
on the committee. The committee meets every Wednesday evening
after the House session ends.
Thus far, committee members have offered
a great deal of testimony and many questions and ideas have been
raised, several which would have a devastating impact on many of
our members. Suggestions we oppose include:
- moving all new employees to a 401k type system
- adjusting the COLA for everyone
- moving some or all members of Plan A to Plan B
- freezing everyone where they currently are and establishing
a private system, such as a 403b (similar to a 401k)
Everyone should be concerned. While the
facts support our positions, this seems to be as much about politics
as it is about money and budget.
The difficulty we face at the moment is
that we cannot give you definite information about what the committee
may or may not recommend, or what legislation may pass as a result
of these recommendations. While we will fight to preserve your
benefits, we strongly suggest that if you are eligible to retire
and/or thinking seriously about it, you may want to set up an appointment
with the Retirement Board to get started. No one should panic,
but everyone should be concerned.
We have launched a postcard campaign that
encourages General Treasurer Frank Caprio to keep the promise he
made to NEARI PACE when he agreed to oppose any reductions in benefits
to the teacher and state employee retirement systems. He also supported
lowering the contribution rates for employees who are now in Plan
B. See your local president for more details or go to www.neari.org for
information. |
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Collective
bargaining legislation |
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There
are many bills before the legislature that would adversely impact
our rights to bargain collectively. Some deal with evaluation,
some with tenure, and others with fining teachers who strike and
moving all educators to the state health care plan.
NEARI is particularly concerned about legislation
that could impact our right to bargain over health care, including
proposals to move all teachers to the state plan.
President Purtill criticized the plan not
as a cost savings or benefit, but as an attack on collective bargaining.
The truth is, over 80 percent of Rhode Island school districts
pay less than the state plan, and most are self-insured, thus lessening
any additional cost savings. This is nothing more than a way to
remove health care from the bargaining table. Opponents of public
employee unions want to start limiting what we can and cannot bargain. |
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Negotiations
update |
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This
continues to be a very difficult year at the bargaining table,
and with many locals – including state employee unions – entering
negotiations, it will not become any easier.
NEARI still has four teacher local contracts
unsettled from last September: Burrillville, East Greenwich, Exeter-West
Greenwich and Tiverton, and there is no end in sight. The governor's
demands for state employees may be even worse. With furlough days,
longer workdays, and increased cost sharing of health care premiums,
many state workers could actually take home less money in three
years than they do now if the governor gets his way.
However, there is some hope. Some contracts
expiring later this year, including teacher agreements in South
Kingstown and Portsmouth, have been settled, proving that, despite
these very difficult times, agreements can be reached that are
fair to all.
Several higher education units, including
those represented by NEARI, have ratified contracts with the Board
of Governors. Executive Director Bob Walsh served as spokesperson
for the higher education union coalition that bargained the major
points of these agreements together.
We can reach agreement with management,
but it takes individuals on the other side who respect the collective
bargaining process and who understand the importance of avoiding
animosity and its divisiveness. |
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Take
action |
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What
can you do? Contact your
state representative and senator and ask them to leave pensions
and collective bargaining alone. Reaffirm the right of locals
to bargain healthcare, and remind them that teachers and public
employees have always done more than their share. An e-mail is
good, but phone calls and/or letters are much more effective. |
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Rally
May 2 |
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NEARI,
along with Working Rhode Island, RIFTHP, AFSCME Council 94, SEIU,
UNAP and allies such as Rhode Island Jobs with Justice and Ocean
State Action are planning a major rally for Friday, May 2 in Providence.
(There will be more information on www.neari.org as
the date nears.)
Choose as many ways as you can to become
involved in this struggle. Let your voice be heard! |
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