February Update
TO: Local 943 Members
FROM: Kathy Setlak, Local 943 president
RE: February, 2012 Update
Pensions Heating Up!
During the last couple of weeks, teacher pensions are becoming a hot topic again. You may know that all three democratic leaders-Quinn, Cullerton and Madigan-favor making school districts pay the entire employer share of teacher pension. Currently your school district pays 0.054% of your salary towards your pension. If this change would become law, the employer portion could start out as high as 12% of teacher payroll and then move downward as more tier 2 teachers are hired in a district. There are two problems with this idea. Most of our districts are under property tax caps. They wouldn’t be able to raise much, if any, more new money. Quinn said the districts should economize. Where you ask can they economize. He didn’t say. The other problem is that, if passed, this would take care of the problem going forward. The pension debt would still be there.
Two very good articles on this pension solution were in the paper Sunday and Monday.
Phil Kadner’s commentary in the Sun Times called it Bait and Switch.
On Monday, Rich Miller-Springfield political reporter-analyzes the changes proposed. To read the article.
Take time to read and keep current on this issue.
Reminders:
2012 AFT Convention :
Since the February Senate meeting was cancelled, the executive board extended the date for submission of names of persons interested in being delegates to March 13th, the next Senate meeting.
March Deadline for Scholarships
AFT Local 943 scholarship deadline to apply for the 2011 - 2012 scholarship is March 9, 2012. Click here for details.
The AFT Robert G. Porter Scholars Program offers four 4-year, $8,000 post-secondary scholarships to graduating high school seniors who are dependents of AFT members, as well as 10 one-time $1,000 grants to AFT members to assist with their continuing education. The application for the 2012 scholarships can be found at www.aft.org. Deadline is March 31.
Chicago Federation of Labor Scholarship:
The CFL offers ten scholarship awards, each in the amount of $2,000, to be awarded equally in two categories: academic competition and random drawing. Dependents of Local 943 members graduating from a Chicago or suburban area high school in 2012 are eligible. The application for the 2012 scholarships is available at http://www.chicagolabor.org/union-resources/scholarship-information. Deadline is March 1.
Just Ask –AFT’s new pamphlet on Choosing Colleges
Higher education is more important than ever in today's knowledge-based economy, but it also can be an expensive proposition. It is essential to ask the right questions.
Are you a high school junior starting to think about where you want to attend college, or a working adult considering returning to school? Or perhaps you're a parent of a college-bound student. If you fall into any of these categories, then surely you are evaluating and comparing colleges. And you should be. At the AFT, we believe that process should include taking a close look at the degree to which colleges and universities invest in instruction. To help you with your research, the AFT has developed several tools for each step of the process.
Researching and Visiting Colleges
To get started, check out the AFT's college guide and checklist, Just Ask! Which College Is Right for You? The guide and checklist will help you evaluate each school you are considering, providing you with a wide range of questions to choose from based on your specific situation and priorities.
Check out what other organizations have offered their support for Which College is Right for You?
In addition, we recommend you visit the AFT Higher Education Data Center prior to any campus visit. The Data Center includes detailed information about every institution of higher education in the country, including tuition costs, types of degrees awarded, levels of student aid and more.
As always, if you have any questions, please contact Local 943 at 708.633.0943. |
