TVI Employees Federation
Advocates for a Professional WorkPlace
Breaking News
|
|||||||||||
|
June 18, 2005 from the Albuquerque Journal 'Fair Share' Fair To All Workers by Christine Trujillo, President, N.M. AFL-CIO
In his (June 6) column, extreme right-wing Republican mouthpiee John Dendahl uses Gov. Bill Richardson as a proxy to rant against unions. Nothing pisses this man off more than public employees having union rights. Unions have Richardson to thank for restoring the Public Employee Collective Bargaining law. In collective bargaining, once a majority of employees sign authorization cards, the union is the "exclusive representative." The union must bargain for all employees, nonmembers and members alike, and is prohibited from negotiating terms and conditions of employment that differ for members and nonmembers. Nonmembers, therefore, reap the benefits of union representation. Unions in New Mexsico are getting savvy. They are insisting that a "fair share" clause be negotiated into their contracts. "Fair share" means that no employee can shirk their responsibility to help pay for the costs of bargaining. Amen. Let's face it, choice is always an option. If an employee thinks he can make more in a non-unionized environment, they are free to go work for a non-unionized company. There are plenty out there. Freedom of choice is "the" great thing about the U.S.A. That being said, employees, union members or not, have Richardson to thank for a collective bargaining law that finally puts into place measures of social and fiscal responsibility. We applaud the governor for what he has done during his short term in office. He has paved the way for new jobs, economic development and education at levels that former right-wing extremist governors and their mouth-pieces never dreamed of. Education scores are up, unemployment is down, new jobs technologies are coming to New Mexico. In fact, thanks to our governor, New Mexico is becoming a national leader in information technology. New Mexico is on its way to becoming the Silicon Mesa. Finally, the extreme Republican right wing in New Mexico would do right to get the facts straight about unions. Federal law prohibits unions from using dues for political purposes. Unions raise political monies through a separate and voluntary contribution from members through the Committee on Political Education. It is through this political action committee that we meet our obligations to our members to screen candidates and disseminate information about them - including right-wing extremists who are running for political office. They get their "fair share," too.
|
|
March 24, 2005 WE WERE BETRAYED!
The small salary hike for education employees that was approved by state lawmakers won't cover increased insurance costs, NMFEE president Christine Trujillo, ATF president Ellen Bernstein, and AEAA president Kathy Chavez said Wednesday. In fact, they said, most education employees across the state will end up next year with less take-home pay. "Most education employees will have to pay just to keep their jobs," said Ellen Bernstein, president of the Last week, Gov. Bill Richardson signed a $2.1 billion education spending bill that includes a 1.25 percent raise for teachers NOT moving up on the 3-tier minimum pay system. Education assistants who earn more than $12,000 will see only a 1.25 percent raise.
That 1.25 percent isn't even enough to cover costs such as increased insurance, said Christine Trujillo, president of the New Mexico Federation of Educational Employees. "What happened this session wasn't a pay raise for education employees,"
NMFEE asked legislators to pass a 5 percent across-the-board raise for all education employees, and sent more than 100,000 messages to legislators asking for the raise. Lawmakers also voted to increase the amount employees must pay into the ERA retirement system, although the governor has yet to sign that bill. If it's signed, then employees will pay more each year into the ERA system, said Tiffany Fiser, political director for the New Mexico Federation of Educational Employees. That will result in less take-home pay. While the Legislature included $51.8 million to fund the next phase of the teacher three-tier system— which pays educators based on experience and evaluations— the Senate failed to pass House Bill 83 which would have expanded the system to include counselors, social workers and speech therapists. The failure to pass HB 83 will affect 818 licensed APS employees who won't see their salaries keep up with teachers' pay, Bernstein said.
"The three-tier system is good" for The money to raise entry-level pay for education assistants (EAs) to $12,000 will help only 1,000 of the 2,000 EAs employed by APS. The other 1,000 will see only a 1.25 percent raise which won't cover higher insurance costs.
Veteran EAs will suffer again next school year, said Kathy Chavez, president of the ABQ Educational Assistants Association (AEAA).
AEAA is affiliated with NMFEE, and represents 2,000 EAs employed by APS. Bernstein said lawmakers are sending the message that "I've been going to |
||
|
See
The Tribune's articles on the
2005
Legislature |
||
Membership Growth Award
At the New Mexico Federation of Educational Employees, TVI Employees Federation was presented a Membership Growth Award for 2003. NMFEE president Christine Trujillo complimented all those in the local who worked so hard last year to "spread the word".
The $190. monetary component of the award is to be used to continue promoting membership growth.
ROUNDHOUSE REPORT #5
January 31, 2004
HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS AND FINANCE BUDGET PROPOSAL
Budget May Be Approved Monday
On Thursday, the House Appropriations and Finance Committee (HAFC) ROLLED school funding (House Bill 3) into House Bill 2, the General Appropriations Act.
House Bill 2 maintains NMFEE’s proposed 2% across-the-board pay raise for public school employees.
School Funding Cut by HAFC
Compared to House Bill 3 (submitted by the House Education Committee), House Bill 2 cuts school funding by approximately $11 million.
House Bill 2 makes three (3) major education cuts
1. $1 million from Indian Education
2. $2.4 million from the proposed three-tier licensure system for Educational Assistants
3. School districts required to reduce their cash balances by $6 million
Amendment 2 Money for Reforms
$67 million out of $211 million in new money is earmarked for public school reform this year. House Bill 2 proposes $33 million of that be used for school reform and the balance may be used for a newly created Public School Reform Reserve Fund ("education lockbox"). Approximately $37 million of next year’s Amendment 2 money is not included in House Bill 2 recommendations.
General Fund Money/Program Recommendations
$144 million of new general budget money is projected. Under House Bill 2, 50.9% of new money will go to schools and be spent according to committee recommendations, which include, but are not limited to:
1. Elementary fine arts program - $4 million
2. Three tier licensure system/minimum salaries for EAs - $5 million
3. Implementation of phase two of teacher three tier system -$8.6 million
ACTION CALL
Call the main switchboard at 505-986-4300. The operator will connect you to the office of your legislators. Leave message: "Please support full funding for House Bill 304, the Education Assistants 3-Tier Pay Plan.
CONNECT to: # and use GetActive to email your legislators NOW.