Effective November 12, 2020, use these 2 links for important employment related COVID-19 information.

NYS Department of Health, COVID-19 Pre-K to Grade 12 Toolkit

NYSUT, COVID-19 Federal and State Leave Entitlement

KFT signs historic agreement with Repollet administration creating Equity-In-Action Fellowships to increase faculty diversity while saving faculty and staff jobs and addressing transition to remote education.

Please click the link, Detroit Teacher -- 2020 Election Edition, to view our special edition newsletter featuring candidates for the Election of Officers, Executive Board and Trustees.  

It is that time of year again...A&R HOLIDAY PARTY TIME!!!

We will once again be holding our annual Holiday Party at the Aquaturf on December 4, 2020

Many things will be the same:

We will have raffles
We will have Prime Rib dinners
We will have games
We will have music
We will give away a big screen TV  (look for the decorated tree)

...but some things will be different (yep, 2020 is definitely the year of "different").

This will be a drive thru event
Everyone will stay in their cars for the event (we will not be going into the facility)
Everyone will be wearing a mask
No guests this year as we are limited on meals

We will also have "waves" of arrival times, remember, there will be 800 cars in attendance for this event and if we can handle 1 car per minute that means it will take 800 minutes to complete our event...800 minutes is over 12hrs!!!  Love you guys, but 12hrs on a cold December day could be difficult.

Since we need to stagger everyone's arrival time, we will need everyone  to select a "session" for arrival

The cost is $20 (perfect for 2020)...and this year there will be NO WALK-IN PAYMENTS...so, you can either fill out the form and mail it to the A&R Office along with a check for $20...or...this year, you can submit your credit card number and we will ring it through...in either manner, we will send you a confirmation letter via mail.

To Register/Pay By Check: use this form

To Register/Pay By Credit Card: follow this link

REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS TUESDAY NOVEMBER 24, 2020

[Editor's note: This was included in the inaugural issue of the MCEA newsletter.]

My name is Linda Day, and I am honored to have been nominated without opposition to serve as the president of your union.

During this unprecedented time, we see new challenges confronting working people all across this country. Despite these challenges, we have maintained our connection with our union and our members.

Overview

Fiction: I haven’t had a raise in 5 years

Has the pandemic put a damper on your plans?  Looking to roll more than ten days of vacation time over into next year?  You can!  Our contract allows it.  All you need to do is ask permission of your agency.  And permission shall not be unreasonably denied.  Simple as that!

Here is the contract language: No employee may carry over, without agency permission, more than ten days of vacation leave to the next year.  Such permission shall not be unreasonably denied. (Article 18, Section Two).

This only applies to the vacation time you earned this year (not your entire vacation accrual bank); so if you earned 15 days of vacation this year and you only plan to use 2 days of vacation, you may request to carry over 13 days.  We are aware that the State typically does NOT require employees to make this request, but for some unknown reason some agencies have decided to create problems where none has existed before.  Therefore, we are advising everyone who wants to carry an excess of 10 days to make the request.  There is NOT an agreed upon standard form for this purpose (sorry, DRS, you made this form up on your own and we don't accept it) so an email request should be sufficient.

The other option is to use your "excess" vacation (we certainly encourage everyone to take the needed time off), so please request vacation time if you don't want to carry any of it over into next year

[side note: A&R does not agree that the carry-over provision is based on a calendar year rather than a contract year, but the State is applying the calendar year for this carry-over provision]. 

IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY DONE SO - VOTE!!!!

REMINDER:

Elections are Tuesday November 3rd...every polling station in CT is open from 6:00AM to 8:00PM.
Further, any absentee/mail-in ballot that is placed in the "drop-box" by 8:00PM on 11/3 will be counted.

If you aren't registered, you can show up to your town's "EDR" location (Election Day Registration location) and register and vote that same day...so you have not missed out just yet!  You will need to provide proof of identity and proof of residence in that town, so be prepared.

BUT....keep in mind, this election cycle is extremely important to State employees; the State Senate and State Rep candidates elected this year will be voting on your next contract!!!  (it is no longer the same process many of us have experienced before, State statute now requires the State legislature to vote on our contracts)

Do your part A&R, make sure you cast your vote and have your say in this election.  This election will impact you and your family directly.  Don't let this slip by you.  Make the commitment, make the effort, and VOTE.

We encourage all faculty to join the Skagit Valley College Federation of Teachers to get the support and fellowship of your colleagues.

To join the SVCFT, just download this membership form and submit it to President Kip Zwolenski.

We are stronger together!