ROEA REPORTER

Message from the President

DUES

A dues increase of $30 per year was approved at the November 26th Representative Assembly meeting. The deduction will show initially in your January paycheck. For this academic year there will be a $2.50 increase per paycheck for the remaining 12 paychecks that we will receive this academic year. For the 2003-04 academic year, there will be only a $1.50 increase per paycheck as the increase will be spread over 20 paychecks.

The Representative Assembly, acting on the recommendation of the Executive Board, agreed that it was necessary to increase dues to cover the costs of negotiations. As this is the final year of our contract, we can begin to negotiate in late winter or early spring. Historically, we have paid our negotiations team for their work. Negotiations are a time consuming, arduous, and challenging process. Three years ago our 5 team members and I each received a stipend of $1500 to negotiate a new contract. This year, I will be recommending to the Executive Board that we expand our team by the addition of one more bargainer to better represent our membership. Each team member will be strongly encouraged to attend MEA's annual bargaining conference. This is an excellent conference that teaches skills such as budget reading, contract language interpretation, and strategies for bargaining. The cost of the conference and the cost of leave time for the conference are covered by our ROEA budget.

As the calendar year ends, I feel that our working relationship with administration has improved considerably. Nevertheless, given the economics of state funding and the anti-teacher, anti-public education provisions of the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (euphemistically referred to by President Bush as the No Child Left Behind Act; more realistically referred to by the MEA as the No Child Left Untested Act or the No building Left Standing Act), I anticipate that negotiations will be lengthy.

Thank you for your support. The bargaining team, along with MEA Director Curt Lange, will do everything in our power to meet your expectations. I hope you have a peaceful holiday season. And come back with an attitude ----- one that says that as teachers we deserve and will fight for excellent salaries and benefits and professional conditions of work!

CONTRACT FEATURE:  EXTENDED LEAVES

In the November issue of The REPORTER the Contract Feature column reviewed paid leave. In this month's column we discuss extended leaves for illness or medical conditions.

The Family and Medical Leave Act

All of our members are covered under the Family and Medical Leave Act. The FMLA is a federal law which is designed to protect employees who need an extended period of absence from their job for their own illness, to care for an ill family member, and for maternity related conditions and situations including adoption. The FMLA provides for up to 12 weeks of absence in which health insurance continues to be covered by the employer. At the end of the absence period, the employee is guaranteed a position with the employer. At workplaces with union contracts, the provisions of the contract and FMLA both apply.

Let's look at how our contract benefits in conjunction with FMLA would apply to a member with a newborn. Doctors generally recommend a 6 week post-birth recovery period for the mother. This 6 week period is covered under the paid leave language of the contract. While the mother is on paid leave she is a regular employee and entitled to all contract benefits. At the same time that contractual paid leave begins, FMLA leave begins as well. After 6 weeks of paid leave the teacher is now eligible for 6 more weeks of FMLA leave. The teacher is no longer paid, but insurance benefits continue for another 6 weeks. At the conclusion of the 12 week period the teacher returns to her previous position if this request was made prior to utilizing FMLA leave. Fathers with a newborn have the same right to a 12 week FMLA period. The amount of sick leave time that they can use would be determined by the period of time in which they are taking care of an ill family member ----- in this case the recovering mother.

A teacher may elect to stay home with their child for a longer period of time. After 12 weeks the FMLA is no longer in effect; however, the union contract provides for an unpaid leave of absence for childcare. If the unpaid leave of absence is for one year or less, the teacher returns to their prior position provided that this plan was established in advance of using any leave. If the teacher extends child care leave beyond a year, they are guaranteed a return to work at the conclusion of the leave period, but not necessarily a return to their former position. 

The Family and Medical Leave Act became law under the Clinton administration in 1993. It is excellent legislation which allows employees a reasonable amount of time for their own care or the care of family members while maintaining job security and health benefits.

Long Term Illness

Our long term disability (LTD) plan covers an extended illness. The plan is activated 90 calendar days after the onset of an illness or medical condition. Prior to that time, a teacher utilizes their own sick leave. Depending on the number of paid leave days accrued, a teacher may need to request time from the sick leave bank. At the 90 calendar day point, LTD takes effect. The plan provides for 2/3 of your pay for up to 2 years. Health insurance benefits (though not MESSA Super Care I) are provided as well.

Our contract benefits are substantial. They were won over the course of many years by teachers who dedicated themselves to the common welfare of all of us. Our job is to preserve and expand upon these contractual benefits and protections for ourselves and future generations of teachers. We can only do this with the strong and unwavering support of all ROEA members as we prepare for negotiations in the spring.

Sid

Here is an individual teacher contract in its entirety from 1942. The contract belongs to the mother of one of our members ------- Nancy Adair. Our present teacher contract is 126 pages in length! -ed.

Tax Deduction for Educators

This is a new provision in the tax law which affects educators. -ed.

Deduction for Educator Expenses
If you are an eligible educator, you can deduct as an adjustment to income up to $250 in qualified expenses. You can deduct these expenses even if you do not itemize deductions on Schedule A (Form 1040). This adjustment to income is for expenses paid or incurred in tax years beginning during 2002 or 2003. Previously, these expenses were deductible only as a miscellaneous itemized deduction subject to the 2% of adjusted gross income limit.
Eligible educator. You are an eligible educator if, for the tax year, you meet the following requirements.
1)You are a kindergarten through grade 12:

2)You work at least 900 hours during a school year in a school that provides elementary or secondary education, as determined under state law.

Qualified expenses. 
These are unreimbursed expenses you paid or incurred for books, supplies, computer equipment (including related software and services), other equipment, and supplementary materials that you use in the classroom. For courses in health and physical education, expenses for supplies are qualified expenses only if they are related to athletics.
To be deductible as an adjustment to income, the qualified expenses must be more than the following amounts for the tax year.

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