Continue to check here and at http://ieanea.org for updates, information and calls to action.  Find out more information about the IEA recommendation, including a comparison of the two candidates and their views on public education.

The following document contains several helpful tools and resources for members that have been RIF’d.  Information is included on topics such as:

• Posting of Vacancies and other Job Posting
• Who to Contact
• Final Payment
• Unemployment Insurance
• TRS Service Credit
• Legislation and Political Action

This resource was provided to those who attended the meetings on May 4 and 6 and is now also provided here: RIF Resources

We’ve posted links to several stories, photos and videos from the April 21 SOS (Save our State/Save our Schools) Rally on the UFEA Facebook Page. Several of the stories feature images and quotes of UFEA and BEA members. 

If you’re on Facebook and haven’t yet “liked” the UFEA Page, you should!  You can also follow UFEA on Twitter (@ufea).  Twitter coverage from the SOS Rally can be found by searching the #SOSrally hashtag.  And, of course, there is coverage and calls to action at http://illinoiseducationassociation.org as well.

We will be taking over 30 Unit 5 employees and friends to the Lobby Day in Springfield tomorrow.  We’ll be joining about 20 others from Region 14 and thousands of others from across the State.

We think we will have a big crowd, and we hope to be able to talk with our local legislators when we get there.

But those of us in Springfield tomorrow can’t do it alone.  We need your help!   The rest of our members can help with the lobbying effort right here at home.  Please encourage members in your building to take a few minutes before or after school, during lunch, or during plan time to contact our legislators by phone, fax or email (contact information is below).  An easy way to email is to go to this link:
http://capwiz.com/nea/il/state/main/?state=IL

SUGGESTED TALKING POINTS:

• We need a balanced approach to this crisis:  That means being open to budget reductions following a cost/benefit analysis AND increased revenue.
• We support the one percent income tax increase for education but that is NOT an adequate solution
• We need comprehensive tax reform such as that found in HB 174. HB 174 would eliminate the need for layoffs in education.  It would allow the state to reduce the budget deficit while preserving services for children, the mentally ill and the elderly. Pass HB 174!

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Senator Bill Brady, R-44th District

• Springfield Office:
  105A Capitol Building, Springfield 62706
  Office (217) 782-6216  Fax (217)782-0116  
• Local Office:
  2203 Eastland Drive, Suite 3, Bloomington 61704 
  Office (309) 664-4440  Fax (309) 664-8597

Senator Dan Rutherford, R-53rd District

• Springfield Office:
  105B State Capitol, Springfield, IL 62706
  Office (217) 782-6597 
• Local Office:
  320 N. Plum St., Pontiac, IL 61764
  Office (815) 842-3632 Fax (815) 842-2875

Representative Dan Brady, R-88th District

• Springfield Office:
  200-8N Stratton Office Building, Springfield, IL 62706
  Office (217) 782-1118 Fax (217)558-6271
• Local Office:
  202 N. Prospect Rd, Ste.203, Bloomington 61704
  Office (309) 662-1100 Fax (309) 662-1150

Representative Keith Sommer, R-106th District

• Springfield Office:
  216-N Stratton Office Building, Springfield, IL 62706
  Office (217) 782-0221 Fax  (217)782-1275 Local
• Local Office:
  121 W. Jefferson St,  Morton, IL 61550
  Office (309) 263-9242 Fax (309) 263-8187
  email: sommer@mtco.com

After watching the video, go to www.ieanea.org to read more.

 

Next Friday (March 19) some of us will be in Chicago as delegates to the annual IEA Representative Assembly.  The candidates for Governor (Pat Quinn and Bill Brady) will be at our meeting that day to answer our questions about what they intend to do to fund education in Illinois.

 

The delegates to the Assembly are planning to wear pink that day to demonstrate our solidarity with the thousands of teachers across the state who are being RIFed (and getting “pink slips”) because of the budget crisis in Illinois.

 

We would like to urge ALL our members to join us in a show of solidarity and wear pink on Friday, March 19.

 

It would be great if we could get some pictures of our members wearing pink to post on our UFEA website and send to our legislators to ask them to do the right thing and fund education.

 

Please help to get the word out in your building to WEAR PINK ON FRIDAY!

If you plan on participating, please let IEA know by following this link and voting in the poll!

This morning the principals will be contacting all first year teachers to let them know they will be RIFed, and also to give them a brochure that includes information about the RIF and the timeline for applying and interviewing, etc.  In addition to first year teachers, all non-tenured part time teachers will also be released.

This brochure includes FAQ’s, a Timeline and other information important for those who are part of the RIF.  It will also be helfpul when Displaced Teachers are announced next week.

A few important notes:

• The following sections of the contract will be helpful for you to review: Section 6.6.1.5, Section 7.7, Section 6.6.1.4, Section 6.6.2.2
• Administration and UFEA meet with RIF teachers:
  January 26 – 4:00 pm @ KJHS and January 28 – 4:00 pm @ KJHS

Timeline (from the Brochure)

• January 22: RIF teachers identified
• January 29: Displaced teachers identified
• February 1-4: Seniority lists sent to buildings, Internal building transfers conducted
• February 5: Vacancies posted for displaced teachers
• February 8-26: Placement of displaced teachers
• March 10: Board approval of RIF resolution and in-building transfers and placement of displaced teachers
• March 11: Letters mailed to RIF teachers by certified mail, District vacancies posted
• March 11-19: Voluntary transfers for in-district candidates only (RIF teachers are not eligible at this time)
• March 29-April 8: Teachers requesting transfers interviewed and placed
• April 9-16: All vacancies posted
• April 19: Interviews, selections and assignments

Frequently Asked Questions:

• Q. How will I find out about insurance and unemployment benefits?
  UFEA will have an informational meeting on these topics later in the spring.
• Q. Can a displaced teacher move to a vacancy within their current building during the internal transfer process?
  Yes, that would occur during the internal transfer (within building) process and the decision is up to the building principal.
• Q. Will displaced teachers have to interview for jobs?
  No, displaced teachers will only need to select a job from the list provided.
• Q. Who will have to interview for jobs?
  Teachers requesting internal transfers and RIF’ed teachers applying for vacancies will be interviewed.

The Unit Five Education Association annually awards three scholarships to individuals purusing a career in education.  Applications for each $1000 scholarship are due by March 19, 2010 at 3 pm.  Applications should be completed and returned to:

Pat Fitzgerald
NCHS
3900 E. Raab Road
Normal, IL 61761

One Rosenbaum Scholarship is awarded to a senior at Normal Community High school, while another is awarded to a student at Normal West.  A third scholarship is awarded to the child of a UFEA member (may be a high school senior or current college student, pursuing a career in education).

The application form maybe downloaded using the links below.

 2010 UFEA Scholarship Application  |  2010 UFEA Scholarship Application (Word document)

The newly ratified contract between UFEA and Unit 5 is now available online.  Printed copies will be available soon.

To view the contents of the contract, click on the “Contract” link found on each page.  The Contract page includes links to the entire contract as a PDF that can be downloaded and printed, and also incluces links to the contents of the contract that can be viewed right within ufea.org.  The salary schedules (both A & B) are also available there.

Please let us know if you have questions or have any trouble finding what you are looking for.

As a reminder, your December 15 pay check should include both the new amount as a result of the contract and your retroactive pay.  A worksheet is currently being developed to assist you in verifying that your check is correct.