AFT Amesbury, Local #1033, AFT Massachusetts, AFL-CIO - Welcome Back: September 09 Newsletter from Cindy Yetman

AFT Amesbury

Local #1033

AFT/AFT Mass/AFL-CIO

Presidents Newsletter Vol 9

AFT Amesbury Web Site = http://ma.aft.org/010330/

September 2009

Local Union News

President Yetman spoke at the opening meeting for Amesbury Public Schools on August 27^th in the new AHS Auditorium welcoming members back to school and introducing our new Executive Board members. She pledges to keep the lines of communication open between the board and members using this newsletter, our up to date web site and coffee meetings held in school buildings. She urges members to review our current contract which is available on the web or hard copy as next year FY10-11 is a negotiating year and she will be asking members for their suggestions for the negotiating team to bring forward in our next round of negotiations. Health insurance benefits continue to be a crucial matter. Mayor Kezer has reenacted the Insurance Advisory Committee of which Yetman will participate. She will only bring a recommendation from that committee work to the membership she can support. It is reminded that AFT Amesbury made a major concession in regards to this benefit agreeing to pay more of their share of the insurance premium costs over the length of our current contract. She recognizes this sacrifice and will bring that to the table for discussion at the insurance committee meetings.

Local Elections were held on June 10, 2009 and the following results were announced:

AMS Rep- Tim Angerhofer (Mike Wesolowski to be appointed by Executive Board in September)

Thanks to all who voted. The response was great! We all thank you for your support!

Current Addresses: On the first day, several of your union officers and building reps. circulated amongst you to verify that we have your current address and made any necessary corrections so that you’ll receive your membership card. If we didn’t get to you, please email your current home address to me (thadackerman@gmail.com) and I will make sure it is updated in the membership database.

Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs): The new (full academic year) period of the flexible spending accounts began September 1, 2009 and runs through August 31, 2010 for those who enrolled before July 31, 2009. You may recall that flexible savings accounts allow you to realize tax savings of up to $1500 for medical, and up to $5000 for dependent care expenses. Claim forms, frequently-asked questions, and more are available through www.cpa125.com.

403(b) Retirement Savings Plans: As your Treasurer, I am charged with managing your union’s dues responsibly. As your Treasurer and your colleague, I am also interested in you being successful with your 403(b) investments. For those of you are more do-it-yourselfers regarding your investments, you may be interested in knowing that you may self-direct your investments without the aid (or expense) of an advisor, broker, or insurance agent by using the 403(b)FundSource (also known as 403bASP) vendor available through the Amesbury Public Schools 403(b) plan. This is how I personally invest my 403(b) funds, and there is a wide universe of low-cost, no load, mutual funds available through this option (such as Vanguard, Fidelity, T. Rowe Price, etc.). The 403bASP company (www.403bASP.com) provides this access while satisfying new federal regulations, with a very low cost of $40/year + 0.1% of account assets, and is an approved vendor accessible as all others in our district by using CPI. There is additional information about this company in the forum available on www.403bwise.com a website created by educators to assist educators. (In the spirit of full disclosure, I have no financial or other connection with 403bASP or 403bwise, and I am an independent, fee-based, licensed financial advisor myself and recommend 403bASP to my clients, some of which are teachers.)

Dues: You may recall that in October, 2008, the membership unanimously approved a modest local dues increase that was our first local dues increase since I became your Treasurer four years ago. Your officers and executive board have been prudent and wise with your dues and so we did not increase the local portion of dues for 2009-2010. Of course, the state and national organizations sometimes raise dues levels, and by our by-laws, those are passed through to the local level. For 2009-2010, AFT Massachusetts dues increased $1 per member, per month, a 2.5% annualized increase since the last state dues increase. AFT (national) dues increased $0.65 per member, per month. The bottom line is that a full-paying dues member saw dues increase by $19.80 for the 2009-2010 school year (76 cents each check for 26 pay period folks). Over the past 15 years, total annual dues increases (local, state, and national combined) average less than 2.8%.

Dues Rates	26 Wks Rate	21 Wks Rate
Full	$24.32	$30.12
Half	$12.46	$15.42
Quarter	$6.52	$8.08

Full, half, and quarter levels are based solely on expected annual earnings as follows:

Dues Levels	Annual Earnings Range
Full	$41,016 & Up
Half	$12,000-$41,015
Quarter	Less than $12,000

It is worthwhile to gain some perspective by noting (Source: Mark Allred, former President & retired member, AFT Amesbury; current Secretary/Treasurer, AFT Massachusetts) that the Amesbury dues rate is well below what many other locals in the state pay and that includes both AFT Massachusetts locals as well as MTA locals. The Boston rate is almost $1,000 per year (Amesbury’s will be $632.42 for 2009-10). Dues in Newburyport are substantially higher than Amesbury. Amesbury employs no full-time staff nor does it have an office in which to do business. The president and treasurer work out of their own homes and save the union a big chuck of money. In order to have a rented office and phones would cost the local upwards of an additional $50-75 per member per year. So the members are getting a bargain in Amesbury.

The AFT mourns the passing of one of our own, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, who was sometimes nicknamed "the senator from AFT." AFT president Randi Weingarten says Kennedy earned that playful moniker by virtue of our substantive and long-lasting partnership.

"Sen. Kennedy will always be a part of the AFT family. And we will honor his memory by continuing his life's work—his passion for social justice, his special concern for the most vulnerable among us, and his belief that government can and should be a force for good. There is so much left to be done, but we will pursue our shared goals with the commitment and courage that Sen. Kennedy brought to every cause he championed.” We extend our deepest sympathies to his family and to all those who worked so closely with him. They are in our thoughts and prayers."

City and town managements are seeking to have sole control over plans offered, deductibles, co-pays, and premium payment. This proposal eliminates collective bargaining about health insurance issues. Others want the city and town managements to determine unilaterally whether to have all employees obtain health insurance coverage through the Group Insurance Commission (GIC) which the state manages. This proposal seriously curtails collective bargaining about health insurance issues.

CALL YOUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE AND YOUR STATE SENATOR AT 617-722-2000 AND TELL THEM THAT YOU ARE OPPOSED TO THESE PROPOSALS AND WANT HEALTH INSURANCE KEPT AS A SUBJECT OF COLLECTIVE BARGAINING.

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