Bow, NH - February 10, 2017 

Besides the snowstorms this week, the big news out of Concord is the current status of ‘right to work’ legislation, legislative action on the NH Retirement System, and the continuing saga of Frank Edelblut as NH’s own version of Betsy DeVos.

Here is the latest items and news from your union.

http://sabea.ny.aft.org/files/feb__2017_sabea_updated.pdf

The dues deduction for 2016 was: $897.16

Deductions from January thru July 2017: $570.92

To help faculty understand their rights and guide them with practical advice about how to continue to exercise their academic freedom, the AFT has joined with the American Association of University Professors to create a guide (link is external) for locals to use to educate their members. Informed by faculty experience, it is designed to prepare academics for the possibility of increased attacks on campus.

The NH House Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services Committee on February 8th recommended against both so-called Right to Work bills by a 14-17 vote. The first vote before the full house wil be on Thursday, February 16th. You can read written testimony submitted by local AFT-NH leaders by clicking on the below links.

Alex Luhtjarv, Hillsboro-Deering Federation of Teachers

Kelly D'Errico, Hillsboro-Deering Support Staff

Elizabeth Lavoie, Hudson Federation of Teachers

Joshua English, Keene Police Officers' Association

Adam Marcoux, Nashua Teachers' Union

Deirdre Conway, Newfound Teachers' Union

Sandra Lee Ellis, Raymond Educational Support Staff

Marie Bahlert, Rochester Federation of Teachers

Ryan Richman, Timberlane Teachers' Association

This past weekend, the AFT-Wisconsin Executive Board voted to endorse the AFT-Wisconsin Statement on Refugees, Immigration, and the Trump Agenda.   The Statement is about the recent Executive Orders on refugees and immigrants issued by President Trump, but also and more broadly about the role of our unions in times like these.  

MCEA members and leadership were in Annapolis on Monday, February 6th to greet members of the Maryland General Assembly at a legislative reception hosted by AFT-Maryland at the Maryland Inn.

NTU Legal Victories – These cases matter. If the Governor and Cerf had prevailed at the Supreme Court there wouldn’t be a worry over contract negotiations—there’d be not contract.  If Cerf and his friends in the corporate charter school industry had prevailed at the State Board of Education in seeking to devalue certifications for charter school teachers, how long do you think they would take to come after yours?