CHTU Updates | Cleveland Heights Teachers Union

CHTU Update March 19, 2018 - Show up at the March 20 BOE meeting

Dear Colleagues,

The conditions for learning and teaching at the middle school have been challenging this year. We have filed an administration union concern, met with administrators and recently filed a grievance over the lack of responsiveness to referrals and lack of consistent follow through in order to create an orderly environment.

The elected Board of Education will be discussing the middle school at their public meeting Tuesday, March 20. We need a show of solidarity with our middle school colleagues who have had to endure chaos for this school year. Please take time to show up for

CHTU Update - Action - March 7, 2018

Dear Colleagues,

We are very pleased that teachers in West Virginia went back to work after a 9 day strike with a 5% raise for all state employees. Without collective bargaining rights in the state, collective action was the only way to make change. Best of all, since schools were closed, no one lost any pay.

Closer to home, at the Board of Education meeting last night there were two significant resolutions passed. We are very pleased that our Board members are being proactive around issues where we have common concerns.

First was a resolution concerning Guns and Violence Protection. (link).

CHTU Update - Supporting Student Voices - March 5, 2018

Dear Colleagues,

Over the last 19 years we have witnessed countless school shooting tragedies throughout our country. The slaughter of 17 lives in Florida in February 2018 was different because of the public outrage shown by student activists toward the inability of elected officials reduce the carnage.

The students in our district at the middle and high schools are interested in making their voices and concerns heard regarding this national debate. Building representatives and officers have voted to empower union leadership to endorse and support student actions for March 14 and April 20

CHTU Update - January 31, 2018 - I AM 2018

Dear Colleagues,

I have cut and pasted and edited a message that you may have recieved from AFT National President Randy Weingarten below.

Memphis Sanitation workers Echol Cole and Robert Walker were crushed to death on Feb. 1, 1968 in the compactor of their malfunctioning, obsolete truck, in which they had sought shelter from a downpour. They were 36 and 30 years old, respectively, trying to raise a family on the minimum wages paid by the city. Their deaths sparked the walkout of 1,300 fellow sanitation workers. (For more background read https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memphis_sanitation_strike

CHTU Update - January 22, 2018

Dear Colleagues,

The Heights Coalition for Public Education is a great partnership between educators, parents, and other community members. Supporting this group's efforts of educating people about the testing and privatization in public schools is worth our time.

Join us on Monday, January 29 for the first of three forums this winter on Democracy in Education. At 7:00 PM in the high school cafeteria we will hear from Superintendents from three school districts (CHUH, Olmsted Falls, and Woodridge). They will let us know what they are doing to fight back against state policy that works against

CHTU Update - January 9, 2018

Dear Colleagues,

I am hopeful that you had a wonderful winter break.

Bacterial Meningitis - as many you know we have a middle school colleague who contracted this deadly disease during the break. Please keep this family in your thoughts.

Jan 9 BOE meeting - Tonight is the installation of new school board members and the election of board leadership. The meeting starts at 7 pm. Come to support our new board members, at least to the beginning of the meeting if you are available.

Transcripts - must be turned in by January 15 if you are advancing on the salary schedule due to classes you have taken

CHTU Update - December 7, 2017 - IPA day, MMO and CCF

Dear Colleagues,

Tomorrow's pay should include an extra day. These "independent professional activity" days occur twice a year based on our contract and are a nice treat.

Medical Mutual sent letters in error to some people stating that the Cleveland Clinic is no longer part of the network. This does not apply to our plan. Whew!

The Friends of the Heights Libraries contacted me over the weekend with an offer of 18 boxes of juvenile fiction and non-fiction books for our elementary teachers. VP Rego and I delivered a few boxes to each of our elementary schools for teachers to use in classroom

Student Debt Clinic - January 25, 2018

Dear Local 795 Members,

Over 20 million people in the United States are struggling to make their monthly student loan payments , and millions more see economic and personal opportunities pass as they prioritize paying down their debt.

Does this sound like you or someone you know?

Many of our members and/or their adult children may qualify for free federal programs that can help reduce their monthly payments and eventually lead to student loan forgiveness, but these lifeline programs are significantly under-enrolled. In an effort to help our members get access to these programs, our local 795

CHTU Update - November 29, 2017 Flexible Spending

Dear Colleagues,

Yesterday Sondra Clarke sent out an email concerning Flex Spending for 2018. Some of you could save a lot of money by taking advantage of this benefit.

There are certain health expenses that can be paid for with pre-tax dollars. For instance, dental or orthodontics expenses beyond our coverage, Lasik Surgery, in addition to many other expenses. The best part about the healthcare FSA is that you get reimbursed immediately, even if you have not yet had that money deducted from your pay.

If you have childcare from a licensed provider, your FSA pre-tax payments can be used for

CHTU Update - November 15, 2017 - Call the House

Dear Colleagues,

We need you to make a simple phone call. Read below from North Shore AFL-CIO.

There are so many things wrong with the proposed tax cuts. In the end, it will cost middle class working families more. We lose deductions for student loan interest, teacher out of pocket classroom supplies, and it hurts our pension system through a new taxation that will reduce revenue.

Ari

The US House is voting THIS THURSDAY on the tax “reform” bill that will shift the tax burden onto the middle class, give a windfall to the rich and result in the gutting of Social Security, Medicare and other