As you know, AFT Seattle has been in negotiations with the administration for a year.  AFT Seattle has fought hard for important gains, such as workload equity and a meaningful raise to the stipend rate, along with other items.

At this point, we have decided it's time to go to mediation.  The administration has talked plenty about the need to address workload equity, but they haven't offered to do much about it.  They're willing to raise the stipend rate to $33, but that leaves us well below Shoreline ($39) and Everett Community Colleges ($40) for no good reason.

Save the Date!  The SEC Professional Development Day is coming.  Friday, April 26 at the Pyle Center. 

See the flyer. 

The Maryland Professional Employees Council (MPEC) has scheduled a meeting of Unit G members March 11, 2013, from noon until 2:00 p.m. in Training Room 2 of the State Highway Administration building, 707 North Calvert Street in Baltimore.

Another meeting is scheduled for March 12th in the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Conference Room, C-1, of the Tawes State Office Building, 580 Taylor Avenue, in Annapolis, Maryland.

The meetings are intended to update and inform Unit G members of pertinent union policies, and activities, and training schedules.

Baltimore County Federation of Public Employees (BCFPE) President John Ripley is scheduled to testifying before the Baltimore County Delegation in Annapolis March 8, in support of House Bill 1475, the Correctional Officers Bill of Rights.

Representatives of AFT-Maryland testified before the House Appropriations Committee March 5th, supporting fair share in higher educational institutions and new school construction in Baltimore.

Click here to read document.

Recently, our friend Sen. Heidi Heitkamp sent a letter of congratulations to the North Dakota Public Employees Association, on our vote to merge with the North Dakota Education Association to form North Dakota United. We thank her for the kind words and her tireless dedication to representing the citizens of North Dakota in Washington, and please click here to read her letter.

(Baton Rouge – March 4, 2013) In a stunning setback for the Jindal administration, a Baton Rouge district judge today ruled the entirety of an act governing teacher tenure, evaluations, salaries and more to be unconstitutional.

The North Dakota state Legislature is currently in crossover, and legislators have headed back to their home districts for a short break. In the meantime, here is the NDPEA Legislative Update for the March 1, 2013, in preparation for the second half of the session, starting next week.

Herricks Teachers' Association President Jane Morales read a statement at the February 28, 2013 Board of Education Meeting.  A copy of it can be viewed here