NEASO

Meet your 2013 NSO RA Election Candidates

Dear NEASO Sisters and Brothers:

The NEASO RA Delegate Elections will be held at NEA Headquarters and NEA Member Benefits on Wednesday, May 8, 2013.

Enclosed are Candidate Statements from candidates who timely submitted such statements^{^[i]} for 2013 NSO RA ELECTION.

The balloted candidates for NSO Delegate are as follows:

Debra Abraham (HQ)		Robert Marques (MB)
Dorrie Arrigo (HQ)		Brian Osterling (MB)
Michele Boyd (HQ)		Michael Petko (HQ)
Evette Brown (HQ)		Reuben Porter (HQ)
Jill Christianson (HQ)		Zach Reid (MB)
Willie Cook (HQ)		John Riley (HQ)
Bronwyn Detalla-Payne (HQ)		Lucille Smith (HQ)
Deborah Floyd (HQ)		James Sparks (HQ)
Faith Gladden (HQ)
Rachelle Grant (HQ)
Edwin Horsley (HQ)
Jay Hunter (HQ)
Jeanette Jackson (HQ)
Mike Kaspar (HQ)
Carmen Lopez (HQ)

Thank you for your participation in this important process. Your continued engagement in and support of NEASO’s activities, programs, and democratic processes keeps our Union strong.

In Solidarity,

The NEASO Elections Committee

[i] NEASO neither endorses, opposes, favors, disfavors, nor takes any position whatsoever regarding the election of any candidate(s) for any NEASO office. The inclusion or absence of a statementfrom a particular candidate(s) in this document, the inclusion or absence of a photograph or other visual flourish in any particular Candidate Statement(s), and/or the order in which the Candidate Statements appear in this document should not be understood as an implicit endorsement of/opposition to the election of a particular candidate(s) by NEASO. As earlier indicated, NEASO included in this document statements from all candidates who timely submitted such statements. In this regard, please note that each candidate prepared and is solely responsible for the content and the visual presentation of his/her Candidate Statement (i.e. the inclusion or absence of any artwork, photography, emphasis, or other visual stimuli), and that NEASO did not draft, create, prepare, proof, review, revise, supplement, or edit any Candidate Statement, or otherwise assist any candidate(s) in the preparation of his/her statement. The Candidate Statements enclosed are arranged and presented in alphabetical order, by the candidates’ last names, and any deviation from such arrangement and presentation in any packet(s) of Candidate Statements is completely unintentional (and, most likely, the result of a copying/collating error).

April 30 Lunch Invitation

Unions & Social Media: What Unions Are Doing; How to Use It Smartly

Invite You to a Brown-Bag Lunch Workshop

Unions & Social Media:

What Unions Are Doing; How to Use It Smartly

Where: American Federation of Teachers

555 New Jersey Ave., NW

(Union Station Metro)

When: Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Noon- 2:00

Panelists:

Tula Connell, Communications Officer, The Solidarity Center

Sarah Burris, Online Communications, UNITE HERE

Daria Steigman, Steigman Communications LLC

They will focus on:

How unions can and do use social media to organize and strengthen membership;
Creating networks within and across different union and labor-friendly constituencies;
Exposing and/or solving problems (ex. – “bullying” which was the topic of our last meeting);
Anything else you think unions should think about with social media (or are already doing).

Bring your lunch – and a colleague – and we will provide soft drinks and dessert. Please RSVP by Friday, April 26 to Carolyn Jacobson, cjacobson@cluw.org, 202-508-6901.

2013 NSO RA Nomination and Election Notice

2013 NSO Representative Assembly Delegates

NEASO is calling for nominations for delegates to the 2013 National Staff Organization (NSO) Representative Assembly (RA). The NSO RA will meet on June 7 and 8, 2013 in Denver, CO.

The NSO RA is an annual gathering of voting representatives from NSO’s state affiliates to elect officers, share information and set priorities for the coming year. As a delegate, you will have the opportunity to meet other NSO members from across the country, weigh in on pressing union issues, and learn more about the NSO.

All NEASO members in good standing are eligible to be nominated for and elected to the RA delegation.

The RA delegation will also include NEASO President Branita Griffin Henson, Vice President Susan Nogan, Vice President Douglas Terwilliger, Secretary Jessica Dandridge Brinkley, and Treasurer William Moreno, each of whom was elected to serve as both NEASO Officer and NSO delegate. NEASO members will elect the remainder of the delegates by a secret ballot election on Wednesday, May 8.

To nominate a NEASO member for the NSO RA delegate election, complete and return the enclosed/attached nomination form by midnight on Friday, April 12. Forms may be returned by U.S. Mail to NEASO, PO Box 66806, Washington DC 20036; by Fax to (202) 822-7802; by hand to Jean Mondejar in the NEASO Office. Both nominator and nominee must be members in good standing of NEASO. Signatures of both the nominator and nominee are required for the nomination to be considered valid.

You may also nominate a NEASO member for the NSO RA by electronic mail. The following rules apply to electronic mail nominations:

1) The nomination must be sent from the nominator’s work e-mail address (i.e. from the nominator’s NEA, NEA Member Benefits Corporation, or NEA Health Information Network e-mail) and state the name of the nominee and the position he or she is being nominated for or include the completed official nomination form as an attachment;

2) The nominee must accept the nomination from his/her work e-mail address;

3) The nominator and nominee must e-mail Jean Mondejar, NEASO Office Manager, at jmondejar@nea.org with the nomination/acceptance of the nomination; and,

4) Nominations, as well as the acceptance thereof, are due by midnight on Friday, April 12.

All nominations are due by midnight on Friday, April 12. Nominees have until Friday, April 19 to withdraw from the ballot once nominated.

2013 NSO RA ELECTION SCHEDULE

Monday, April 1 – Election announcement and beginning of nomination period

Friday, April 12 - Nomination forms due (write in candidates may still campaign,
but will not be included on the official ballot)

Monday, April 15 - Friday, April 19 – Withdraw/Revoke period (NEASO reviews
                           nomination forms and candidate eligibility; nominees have until
                           April 19 to withdraw before their names will be included on the
                           official ballot.

Monday, April 22 – Candidates are announced, absentee ballots are available

Tuesday, May 7 – Absentee Ballots are due (via U.S. mail)

Wednesday, May 8 – ELECTION DAY

NEASO General Membership Meeting Conference Information

neaorg.adobeconnect.com/neaso/

NEASO General Membership Meeting Announcement

Your Candidates Statement

November 5, 2012

Dear NEASO Sisters and Brothers:

The NEASO Elections will be held at NEA Headquarters and NEA Member Benefits on November 14^th, 2012.

Enclosed are Candidate Statements from all candidates for NEASO office who timely submitted such statements. The balloted candidates for NEASO office are as follows:

For NEASO President and NSO Delegate

- Branita Griffin Henson (Candidate Statement Attached)

For NEASO Treasurer and NSO Delegate

- Jeanette Jackson (Candidate Statement Attached)

- William “Bill” Moreno (Candidate Statement Attached)

NEASO Director for NEA Headquarters (Four Positions Open)

- Evette Brown (Candidate Statement Attached)

- Sheala Durant (Candidate Statement Attached)

- Therman Evans (NO Candidate Statement)

- Jay Hunter (Candidate Statement Attached)

- Ray McInerney (No Candidate Statement)

- Vloneeka “Mimi” Taylor (Candidate Statement Attached)

NEASO Director for NEA Member Benefits (One Position Open)

- Marian Solomon (Candidate Statement Attached)

It is important to note that NEASO neither endorses, opposes, favors, disfavors, nor takes any position whatsoever regarding the election of any candidate(s) for any NEASO office. The inclusion or absence of a statement from a particular candidate(s), the inclusion or absence of a photograph or other visual flourish in any particular Candidate Statement(s), and/or the order in which the Candidate Statements appear in this posting should not be understood as an implicit endorsement of/opposition to the election of a particular candidate(s) by NEASO. As earlier indicated, NEASO included in this posting statements from all candidates who timely submitted such statements. In this regard, please note that each candidate prepared and is solely responsible for the content and the visual presentation of his/her Candidate Statement (i.e. the inclusion or absence of any artwork, photography, emphasis, or other visual stimuli), and that NEASO did not draft, create, prepare, proof, review, revise, supplement, or edit any Candidate Statement, or otherwise assist any candidate(s) in the preparation of his/her statement. The Candidate Statements enclosed are arranged and presented in alphabetical order, by the candidates’ last names, and any deviation from such arrangement and presentation in any packet(s) of Candidate Statements is completely unintentional (and, most likely, the result of a copying/collating error).

Finally, thank you for your participation in this important process. Your continued engagement in and support of NEASO’s activities, programs, and democratic processes keeps our Union strong.

In Solidarity,

The NEASO Elections Committee

NEASO MEDICAL LEAVE BANK OPEN ENROLLMENT

Contribute to the NEASO Medical Leave Bank (MLB) During

Open Enrollment

*** Monday, October 29 through Friday, November 9, 2012 ***

We need your hours!!! The NEASO Medical Leave Bank Committee has authorized an Open Enrollment Period for the NEASO Medical Leave Bank.

In order to have access to the Bank you must donate at least 7.5 hours of annual leave and/or medical leave during this open enrollment period UNLESS your first year employment anniversary date with NEA is on or after November 10, 2012, in which case you are automatically enrolled in the MLB. Your donation qualifies you for coverage and helps your union brothers and sisters secure paid leave when they need it most. Your membership in the Bank provides a safety net for you in case you or a loved one experience a prolonged illness or disability. It's insurance you can't afford to do without!

Download:

MLB FAQs Revised.docx,

MLB DONATION FORM 2012.pdf

NEASO 2012 GENERAL ELECTIONS SCHEDULE

Notice of Elections and Nomination Forms: No Later ThanMonday, October 1

Notice of election and the appropriate nomination form will be emailed and mailed to the last known address of every NEASO member.

Nominations Due: Friday, October 12, 5:00 p.m.

Must be returned to the NEASO office (hand delivery or fax are suggested).

Committee Meeting to Review Nominations: Week of October 15
Nominations will be accepted or rejected and written notice of the committee’s ruling will be sent to each nominee. The committee may ask for any partial forms to be completed.

Withdraw/Revoke Deadline: Friday, October 26, 2012

Nominees have until this deadline to withdraw their names from the ballot before candidates are announced. The committee has until this deadline to revoke the candidacy of any nominee.

Absentee Ballots Available: by Monday, November 5, 2012

Campaign Events: The week of November 5 - 9

Will work with candidates to schedule meet and greet/Q & A events for HQ, MB and HIN members during this week.

Absentee Ballots Due: Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Absentee ballots must be sent via U.S. mail to the NEASO PO Box and be received by the close of business on the due date

Elections: Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Polling locations will be at MB and HQ (HQ and HIN polling will be combined). Results will be announced by 10 am the following day.

NEASO 2012 BOD ELECTION NOTICE

To: NEASO Members
From: NEASO Elections Committee
Date: September 28, 2012

OFFICIAL NOTICE OF ELECTION

The annual election of Officers and Directors will be held Wednesday, November 14, 2012. The following positions are open for election:

President

Treasurer

Director (MB)

Director (HIN)

Director (HQ)

President and Secretary will be elected by a vote of all NEASO members. One (1) Director representing the NEA Member Benefits bargaining unit will be elected by MB members. One (1) Director representing the NEA Health Information Network bargaining unit will be elected by HIN members. Four (4) Directors representing the NEA Headquarters bargaining unit will be elected by NEA Headquarters members.

All positions are being filled for two (2)-year terms.

NSO RA Delegates

The NEASO Constitution and Bylaws provides that the President, Vice Presidents, Treasurer and Secretary will serve as delegates to the National Staff Organization (NSO) Representative Assembly for the duration of their terms. Therefore, when voting for the President and Treasurer positions, members will also be voting to elect two (2) delegates to the 2013 and 2014 NSO Representative Assemblies.

Election Date and Locations

The election will take place by secret ballot vote on Wednesday, November 14 at NEA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. and NEA Member Benefits in Gaithersburg, MD.

Absentee Ballots

Members unable to cast their votes at the designated polling locations on November 14 can obtain an absentee ballot by contacting the NEASO office. (Email: jmondejar@nea.org or call 202-822-7808) Absentee ballots will be available from the NEASO office starting Monday, October 22. Members who receive absentee ballots may not cast their votes at the designated polling locations on November 14. Completed absentee ballots must be received at the NEASO post office box (see below) by Tuesday, November 13.

To cast an absentee ballot, one must mail it to NEASO Post Office Box 66806, Washington, DC 20036. Completed absentee ballots will not be accepted at the NEASO office.

Nomination Procedures

Candidates for NEASO office must be nominated by an active member and the enclosed form must be returned to the NEASO Office by close of business on Friday, October 12.

Signatures of both the nominator and the nominee are required on the nomination form for the nomination to be considered valid. The nominator and nominee are solely responsible for the completion and accuracy of the nomination form.

You may also nominate a NEASO member by electronic mail. The following rules apply to electronic mail nominations:

2) The nominee must accept the nomination from his/her work e-mail address;

3) The nominator and nominee must e-mail Jean Mondejar, NEASO Office Manager, at jmondejar@nea.org with the nomination/acceptance of the nomination; and,

4) Nominations, as well as the acceptance thereof, are due by midnight on October 12, 2012.

To be eligible for candidacy, a nominee must be a NEASO member in good standing from the appropriate bargaining unit. In addition, Officers and Directors may serve up to two (2) consecutive full terms, or a combination of consecutive full and partial terms, not to exceed five (5) years; a two (2)- year break in service is required to be nominated to serve again in the same capacity.

Nominees for union office may not have been convicted or have served any part of a prison term resulting from a conviction for robbery, bribery, extortion, embezzlement, grand larceny, burglary, arson, violation of narcotics laws, murder, rape, assault with intent to kill, assault which inflicts grievous bodily injury, or a violation of the LMRDA Title II or III, including any felony involving abuse or misuse of such person’s position of employment in a labor organization or employee benefit plan to seek or obtain an illegal gain, or conspiracy to commit any such crimes or attempt to commit any such crimes during the previous thirteen (13) years, according to the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959, Title V, section 504.

Download:

NEASO Officer and Director Nomination Form.pdf

This Week's Activity - May 8 - 11

Tuesday’s Events

Morning Event: NEASO Bargaining Team Send Off Rally

Location: Outside of Conference Room 611

Time: 9:25 a.m.

Afternoon Activities:

Sign Bargaining Support Cards
View pictures on laptop
BEGIN collecting note card messages, fun facts, baby and work pictures of NEASO Exit 56 Retirees for retirement celebration

Wednesday’s Events

Afternoon Activities:

Sign Bargaining Support Cards
View pictures on laptop
Continue collecting note card messages, fun facts, baby and work pictures of NEASO Exit 56 Retirees for retirement celebration

Thursday’s Events

Afternoon Event 1: Popcorn and a Movie - Unveiling of the NEASO Movie and message from the Bargaining Team

Event 1 Time: 12:30 p.m.

Afternoon Event 2:

Sign Bargaining Support Cards
View pictures on laptop
Continue collecting note card messages, fun facts, baby and work pictures of NEASO Exit 56 Retirees for retirement celebration

Friday’s Events

Activities:

Sign Bargaining Support Cards
View pictures on laptop
Continue collecting note card messages, fun facts, baby and work pictures of NEASO Exit 56 Retirees for retirement celebration

SEE YOU ALL!

General Membership Meeting Information

Tomorrow is the day we look forward to all year long—the Annual NEASO General Membership Meeting!! I know, most of us feel meeting’d out already. Nonetheless, our Constitution and Bylaws requires that we hold at least one all member meeting per year at which we vote on our operating budget for the year. The materials for the meeting are attached for your review.

This year, we’re trying some new technology—for us, anyway. Reuben Porter has set us up with Adobe Connect Meeting--the same web connection used for John’s 1.27 meeting. You can login on the web and/or dial in to hear the audio. Keep in mind that if everyone tries to login at the same time, the system could crash. So, if you’re in the building, please join us in the auditorium. You can use the link to Adobe Connect to see the meeting, but you must dial in to the 800# to hear the audio. Those opting for audio only will use the same 800# listed below.

Here’s the login/call in information:

Please join me in a Adobe Connect Meeting.

Meeting Name: NEASO

Invited By: REUBEN PORTER

To join the meeting:

http://neaorg.adobeconnect.com/neaso/

Audio 1-800-245-1683, participate pass code is 204690.

Web participation need to Enter as guest and type in “Full Name”

If you have never attended an Adobe Connect meeting before:

Test your connection:

https://neaorg.adobeconnect.com/common/help/en/support/meeting_test.htm

Get a quick overview: http://www.adobe.com/go/connectpro_overview

Adobe, the Adobe logo and Adobe Connect are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries.

Seniority List FAQ

Q. What is on the seniority list?
A. The first list that NEASO received from HR was in hard copy only and included names, job title, union seniority date, last hire date, years of service, earliest retirement date, and earliest retirement code. It was then that we noticed that the list included some inaccurate data. After repeated requests for a corrected list, HR provided an electronic version that lists employee # and union seniority date. NEASO contain confirm the accuracy of this list.

Q. Is the list sorted by job classification?

A. No, the seniority list is not separated by job classification. It just lists seniority. Should NEASO receive a notice of intent to layoff, NEA would then notify NEASO of the number of affected employees, as well as their names and job titles. (Article 18)

Q. Is the seniority list confidential?

A. The seniority list itself is not confidential. The original list received from HR contained more information than just seniority. HR requested that the list be kept confidential due to concern that members eligible for the Exit Program might feel targeted and pressured to leave. NEASO complied, while urging NEA to correct errors and release a revised list that could be made public.

Q. You said that the seniority list is incorrect. What’s wrong with it?

A. Article 21 of our collective bargaining agreement states:

“Seniority shall be computed from an employee’s most recent date of hire with NEA, including hire as a temporary or tem employee, from which he/she subsequently transferred….Time spent in positions outside of bargaining units…(i.e. confidential, management, or supervisory positions) shall not be counted in computing seniority for purposes of layoff, promotion, transfer and other actions in which seniority is relevant in making job decisions between or among employees.”

We have a number of members who began their careers here as temps or terms. NEA’s seniority list may fail to recognize continuous service prior to (temps/terms) being hired in full-time permanent positions, and therefore misidentify the date to use for calculating seniority. We also have members who began their careers as managers, but subsequently transferred into the bargaining unit. Their seniority date would not be their hire date, but the date on which they transferred into the unit. We also have members who started out in the bargaining unit, transferred out into a management or confidential position, then transferred back into the bargaining unit. The time spent outside the bargaining unit would not count toward seniority.

Q. Well, what is HR doing to fix the problems?

A. NEASO has communicated repeatedly with HR—and now John Stocks—about the importance of getting this list corrected immediately. NEASO leadership will meet with HR again today (2.22.12) to discuss the matter.

Q. Has NEASO received a notice of intent to layoff?

A. To date (2.22.12) we have not.

Q. How many people have submitted papers for the Exit Program?

A. To date (2.22.12), 11 people have submitted notice of intent to retire under the terms of Plan B (Exit Program):

8 NEASO
3 Managers/confidential
0 AFSE

F.A.Q. EXIT PROGRAM--PLAN B

Q: What is “Plan B”?

A: “Plan B” is the voluntary exit program proposed by John Stocks at the January 27, 2012 All Staff Meeting. This program is available only to those who are eligible to retire by January 1, 2013. Those who are eligible to retire by June 1 must do so by June 1, 2012. Those eligible between June 2, 2012 and January 1, 2013 must retire on their eligibility dates.

Q. Well then, what is “Plan A”?

A. “Plan A” was Stocks’ plan for an involuntary reduction in force or layoffs.

Q. What is impact bargaining, and when do we do it?

A. Impact bargaining allows the Union to negotiate around one specific issue and does not open the entire contract. Article 18. Section 2 (a) of our collective bargaining agreement (CBA) reads as follows:

If NEA plans to take any action pursuant to Section 1 which would result in the layoff or involuntary transfer of any employees, it shall provide notification to the Union in writing, at least sixty (60) calendar days before such action becomes effective and afford it an opportunity to negotiate regarding alternative actions.

The bolded section above refers to impact bargaining. So, we will only enter into impact bargaining if we get written notice of intent to layoff. There is also a possibility of impact bargaining if the implementation of the new organization framework results in involuntary transfers.

Q. Explanation of the timeline or RIFs. Johno talked about “immediate” RIFs, but the contract says the Union gets 60 days notice. What would a timeline look like from NEA’s notification of RIFs to the Union?

A. Johno’s discussion of “immediate” RIFs referred to involuntary reductions under Plan A. The immediate RIFs would pertain to management and confidential staff only. According to Article 18 in our CBA, the Union must get 60 days notice of the intent to layoff to give us a chance to “negotiate regarding alternative actions.” Following that notification, NEA would have to give NEASO 35 days notice with a list of specific names or positions being eliminated. The individual member would get 30 days notice.

Q. If managers or confidentials are demoted into the bargaining unit, will they bump current NEASO members down the seniority list?

A. If managers or confidentials were part of the bargaining unit prior to becoming managers or confidentials, they will get credit for that time in the unit. They will not be credited for the time spent in management or confidential positions outside of the bargaining unit.

Q. If I’m RIFed and I find another job, am I still eligible for recall or do I have to resign from NEA before taking the new Job?

A. If you are RIFed, you do not have to resign from NEA. According to Article 18. Section 12:

An employee who is laid off shall remain on the recall list for thirty-six (36) months unless he/she:

(a) waives his/her recall rights in writing;
(b) resigns;
(c) fails to accept recall to the position that held immediately prior to his/her layoff or to a substantially equivalent position; or,
(d) fails to report to work for a position that he/she has accepted within ten (10) days after receipt of the notice of recall, unless such employee is sick or injured. If an employee has secured temporary employment elsewhere, he/she may, at the discretion of NEA, be allowed additional time before reporting for work.

Q. Can we get an estimate of what our COBRA premiums would be?

A. Generally speaking, COBRA benefits extend group health insurance coverage for an employee who has separated from service. The employee must pay the premium previously paid by the employer (plus any premium paid by the employee) plus 2 percent. COBRA benefits extend for up to 18 months.

Q. The Notice of Exit Program indicates on page 3 in the “Effective Date of Retirement from the NEA” section that “in addition, if necessary to meet the operational needs of the NEA, I may request in writing that you delay your retirement date to no later than January 1, 2013. If an Exit Program participant receives this request, is it mandatory, or can the participant reject the request and still retire on May 31 and not delay? If the request cannot be rejected, who are the NEASO employees eligible for the Exit Program that would be “necessary to meet the operational needs of the NEA?” And can they be identified by March 16, 2012?

A. According to HR Director Donna Healy, it is not NEA’s intention to hold on to staff, but to allow for continuous and smooth operations of NEA systems throughout this transition. She suggests that eligible employees have discussions with their managers and directors as soon as they submit their papers. These discussions would give the directors time to plan around the retirees’ absence and facilitate succession planning. That said, ten employees retiring at the same time from one department (like IT) could create major difficulties. If you are eligible to retire, you can’t be forced to stay past your eligibility date. You may be asked to stagger your departures, however, if several people are leaving your department at the same time.

Q. If I retire, what happens to my long-term care insurance and flexible spending account deductions?

A. When you retire, you may continue your long-term care insurance coverage at the same rates. You’ll just have to make the premium payments yourself. You will not be able to make any more flexible spending account deductions, but you will be able to use the funds you’ve already deducted.

Q. Wouldn’t it be more beneficial to NEA if Plan B were extended to those eligible to retire by the end of the fiscal year (August 2013) instead of cutting it off at January 2013?

A. The idea behind the Plan B Exit Program was to realize as much savings as possible as quickly as possible. That said, some thought may be given to extending the program through the end of the 2012-13 fiscal year (August 31, 2013). If NEA were to agree to this extension, employees would still have to commit by March 16, 2012. If you fall into this category and are interested in the Exit Program, I suggest you contact Donna Healy immediately so they can gauge the level of interest.

Q. Of the 124 NEA employees eligible to retire, how many are in NEASO?

A. Approximately 60.

Q. What is retirement eligibility in NEASO>

A. According to Jim Groves:

For NEASO, the early out eligibility is 60 with 5 years, 55/25 or any age with 30 years for those hired prior to 6/1/06. For those hired after 6/1/06, it’s 60/20. You can also retire at age 65 regardless of the years of service. For the purposes of what John spoke about [at the meeting], it’s anyone who is eligible now through 1/1/2013. To see if you are eligible, you can go to the Pension Web Portal. If you go through the PowerPoint, it shows step by step how to log in and what is on every page.

Q. Would NEA be willing to consider extending the current NEASO contract until the end of the fiscal year, until after all of the reorganization decisions have been made? This would minimize stress, anxiety, and increase productivity.

A: NEASO is open to pursuing all viable options.

Q. How does one know if one is eligible to retire?

A. If you are eligible to retire, you would have received an Exit Program packet. If you still want to check just to be sure, you can check with HR, or check out the Pension Web Portal referenced above.

Q. Why haven’t you released the seniority list.

A. As I mentioned in our January 30^th unit meeting, initially I was concerned about privacy issues and protecting those eligible for the Exit Program from undue pressure. A NEASO member offered a suggestion on how we could release the list while taking privacy concerns. In reviewing the list, I checked my own listing and found that it was wrong. In further researching the issue, I dug a little deeper and found three different hire dates for me! Obviously, only one was correct—and it wasn’t the one on the seniority list. Consequently, I have no confidence that the list is accurate. That’s why I’ve asked members to send their dates to the NEASO office. Fewer than half of the membership has done so. Nonetheless, I am working with HR to correct the list and will make it available when it is accurate.

Q. Will any additional incentives be provided on top of the additional 10 weeks of severance pay?

A. Never say never, but no additional incentives are anticipated at this time.

Q. Since staff have until June 1 to retire, are they covered by the current contract (2009-2011) or the new one?

A. Actually, June 1 is not the only retirement date. If you are eligible between now and June 1, you must retire by June 1. If you’re eligible between, June 2, 2012 and January 1, 2013, you must retire on your retirement eligibility date. You would be covered under the contract in force at your time of retirement.

Q. If I decide to retire, what can I do to stay involved?

A. With a large number of (potential) retirements, what better time to organize our newly retired members? We will ask the Organizing Committee to reach out to this group and other retirees (as though they don’t have enough to do).

Q. What happens if we don’t get enough people to retire?

A. If we don’t get enough retirements announced by March 16^th, I expect that we would receive a notice of intent to layoff. That still doesn’t mean that layoffs are a definite done deal. The notice would give us the ability to enter impact bargaining to come up with other cost cutting measures to avoid the need for layoffs.

Note: As we get additional questions (though our cohort meetings or otherwise), we will add to this FAQ sheet.

Interesting Quote from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

"In our glorious fight for civil rights, we must guard against being fooled by false slogans, such as 'right to work.' It is a law to rob us of our civil rights and job rights. It is supported by Southern segregationists who are trying to keep us from achieving our civil rights and our right of equal job opportunity. Its purpose is to destroy labor unions and the freedom of collective bargaining by which unions have improved wages and working conditions of everyone?Wherever these laws have been passed, wages are lower, job opportunities are fewer and there are no civil rights. We do not intend to let them do this to us. We demand this fraud be stopped. Our weapon is our vote."

--Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 1961--

WE NEED YOUR HELP!

NEASO is getting ready to bargain! Have you volunteered for one of the committees to support the Bargaining Team? There's Organizing, Support, Research, Contract Prep, Communications and Education. Contact Moira Saucedo (msaucedo@nea.org) to join or if you have questions. We need everyone's help!

OHIO CAMPAIGN

The Ohio campaign represents some of the most important affiliate defense work NEA has undertaken to date. SB5/Issue 2 would abolish collective bargaining in Ohio. If this bill passes, the ramifications would be far reaching and long lasting. Membership losses in Ohio would have a direct impact on the NEA budget, and thus would impact NEASO. If you are able, NEASO President Branita Griffin Henson is encouraging you to volunteer for this deployment.

Here are the details of the agreement:

The deployment dates are October 28 - November 3, and from November 3 - November 9. You can work either week or both weeks, but would not be able to return home between the weeks.

You may bring your spouse, significant other, friend or family member as long as they are age 18 or over. The friend or family member must share your room and transportation. They must be able to do the same work that you are doing. They will not be compensated but they will be provided or reimbursed for meals (the same as you).
NEA will provide you with breakfast and lunch. Dinner is on your own and will be reimbursed up to $30/dinner. If you have dietary restrictions that prevent you from eating the breakfast and/or lunch provided, you may voucher and be reimbursed for your purchased meal up to the contractual amount. If you have dietary restrictions, NEA encourages you to let them know up front to help them with the planning.
Everyone will travel to Ohio via rental car. No staffers will be asked to drive their personal cars. If you have a GPS devise or have one on your phone, you are encouraged to use it. If not, NEA will provide you with a rented GPS device. NEA may ask other staff to donate their GPS devices for this use. NEA will compensate staff if their devices are lost, stolen, or damaged.
Only NEA member can drive the rental cars. Several staffers will be assigned to each car. Any staffer with a valid drivers license will be permitted to drive the car. Friends or family members accompanied you on this trip will not be permitted to drive the NEA rental cars.
For nonexempt members, overtime will be paid for hours worked over 40 hours in the week. For exempt members, contractual terms regarding compensatory time applies.

If you have other questions or concerns, please contact NEASO Executive Director/General Counsel Dan DiJames at ext. 7876 or email him at ddijames@nea.org or NEASO President Branita Griffin Henson at ext. 7208 or email her at bhenson@nea.org.

Download:

Signed Agreement re Ohio Campaign.pdf,

Addendum to Ohio Campaign Agreement 10-19-2011.pdf