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Volume XIV |
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Number Four |
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In This Issue: |
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Now That Elections Are Over...
It is finally over! The votes are counted, and incumbents and newly elected representatives, senators, and congressmen begin the process of a new legislative session. For MCCC members, it is time to plan for phase two, the process of getting to know new legislators and meeting with and educating all representatives and senators about our concerns and issues for public higher education.
Not only throughout this last campaign, but whenever the MCCC is involved in political action, the message from the legislators remains the same-- "Talk to us." When Representative Joan Menard (September Newsletter) spoke to MCCC leaders, she implored them to speak to their representatives and senators on a continuing basis, and thank them when they help. At a candidates forum at Mt. Wachusett Community College in October, Representative Stephen M. Brewer (D-Barre) was quoted in The Gardner News as saying to the audience, 'We get our mail at the State House twice a day and we get mail at home. We have e-mail and answering machines at our homes and at our offices. We should not be hearing about problems for the first time when we come to an event like this [candidate's forum]. You have got to let us know when someone is trying to do something bad so we can raise a little hell for you-that's how our system works.'
That is what more MCCC members need to do--become more comfortable calling and speaking to their legislators. If they know us, they will better understand what we do in the community colleges and will be less inclined to listen to those who would like the public and the legislators to believe that we are "...mediocre on their best days" [James Carlin, chair of the Board of Higher Education]. A large number of MCCC faculty and staff were involved in these last elections that resulted in 93% of the MTA endorsed candidates prevailing.
Margaret Ryckebusch, a professor of Speech at Bristol Community College and a political activist and organizer par excellence, contacted nearly 800 people during this campaign. She focused on connecting the candidates' issues with the individual's personal life. "I tried to send the message that voting can make a difference in their lives," said Ryckebusch. "I think our efforts got people back into the system because we convinced people that by voting they could affect the outcome. They did!."
The new legislative session begins in January. The MCCC and the statewide Political Action Strategy Committee (PASC) will be working with MTA to begin the next phase.
Congratulations and thanks to all those who made phone calls, held signs, registered voters, stuffed envelopes, and volunteered their time and energy throughout this campaign.
The MCCC has received nearly all the information needed to begin processing educational needs requests. The preliminary amount of $916 has been agreed to, but another adjustment should bring the total for unit members to approximately $1,040 (50% for recent hires). An application form is attached to this newsletter for your convenience. Keep in mind that in the spring of 1998, there will be a redistribution of unspent funds so don't limit yourself to $1,040.
Professional Development Activities. Members submit request and receipts, and a check will be mailed to their homes within approximately three weeks (depending on work load in each college's Business/Payroll Offices).
Equipment Purchases. According to a letter from the state's Deputy Comptroller, equipment purchases are a "reportable event" and therefore a W-2 will issue at the end of the calendar year in which the equipment is purchased. The unit member, however, owns the equipment. Unit members will receive a check for the allocation amount with no tax deductions. How a unit member handles the W-2 should be discussed with the individual's accountant. If someone does not want a W-2, the college can purchase the equipment. Though the equipment would be the property of the college and would be part of the college's inventory, the unit member can take the equipment home and use it until he or she retires from the college.
There remains a question of what constitutes a "reportable event" or a "durable good" and attorneys for the State Comptroller's Office are looking at this issue. The reason these questions have arisen is due to the change in IRS regulations as well as the state moving to the MMARS, the computerization of all expenditures other than payroll. It is best to assume that all tangible items will issue a W-2. Only travel; conferences, tuition, etc. will be free from W-2's. If this information changes, the chapter presidents will be notified immediately.
Retirees. Unit members who have retired and who were employed during the 1995-1996 year and who retired anytime prior to June 30, 1996, are entitled to the entire educational needs allocation and may be reimbursed for expenditures made after July 2, 1995 and prior to their retirement. The college is responsible for notifying the retirees.
Though the MCCC had many members working on campaigns, there were some that worked tirelessly throughout the election period both on the campuses and in the communities. They are noted here for their strong commitment to political action and for their tireless efforts over the past months.
Bristol: Margarget Ryckebusch, Dan Gilbarg and Marlene Pollock. Gilbarg and Pollock also worked with the Committee for Social Justice. In May 1996, they coordinated the effort to register over 1 100 new voters. Over a year ago the campaign coalition organized to begin working on critical races. Volunteers were trained in the hard work of basic political activities--making phone calls (over 10,000), knocking on doors, holding signs, calling back, knocking again--all activities focused on "getting out the message."
Bunker Hill: Geri Curley
Greenfield: Anne Wiley was the organizer, and central to the operation were: Fred Agnir, Marilyn Barrett, George Bluh, Jean Boucias, Lany Buell, Kit Carpenter, Saul Greenblatt, Arthur Hannan, Dan LaRose, David Patrick, Arlene Patton, David Ram, Wilson Roberts, Jean Simmons, Faythe Turner, and Gretchen Watson
Holyoke: Phyllis Barrett, Mark Clinton, Ruth Elcan, and Dan Fitzgerald, the chapter's Political Action Coordinator
Mass. Bay: John Jacobs, Tom Parsons
Massasoit: Conor Johnston, the chapter's Political Action Coordinator
Middlesex: Priscilla Eng, Rick Doud, Ken Dunn, Joe Gardner, Nancy Higgins, Claire Kamasaki, Rob Kaulfuss, Cathy Larson, Phil Mahler, Lucy Ogburn, and Dianne Ruggiero
Mt. Wachusett: Christina Coolidge, Jack Hughes
No. Shore: Judy Carter, the chapter's Political Action Coordinator and Don Williams, chapter president.
No. Essex: Chapter President Peter Flynn says, "Our political activity began June 1 at graduation with an "air assault" on commencement speaker Governor Weld. They had 500 bumper stickers "Celebrate Public Education PRIVATIZE WELD" printed and raised approximately $600 for the faculty association scholarship fund. Active members from campus included Eugene Wintner, Patricia McDermot, Gerald Morin and Frank Leary. Barry Finegold who won the representative seat in Andover/Lawrence district is the son of music professor Mike Finegold. Peter Flynn is also on the local Tierney recount team.
Quinsigamond: Maria Addison, Eugene Butler, Maria Estela Carrion, George Fitch, Robert Gillies, Alfred Kolb, Sharron Lamoureaux, Olga Lopez-Hill, Marilyn Martin, Luz Rupert-Lopez, Barbara Spence, Laraine Sommella, Patricia Toney, Margaret Watson, Kathy Wilkinson, and Stephen Zona.
Springfield: Sandy King, the chapter's Legislative Action Coordinator and Roberta Albano, the chapter's Crisis Coordinator.
N.B. If names were omitted that should have appeared, please let the editor know. and mentioned will be made in the next issue.
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MCCC Has a WEB PAGE |
Thanks to Phil Mahler, MCCC Vice President, the MCCC has a Web Page. Though it is in its infancy, the MCCC is working with the MTA to see if we can attach our page to theirs. In the meantime, you can visit the site at the following address (The address is case sensitive so pay attention to the capitalization.): http://www.chelmsford.com/home/mccc/index.html |
Two surveys are in the process of being distributed or prepared in order for the MCCC and MTA to ascertain support for two proposals: 1. Should DCE income be added to full-time unit members' pay base for retirement purposes, and 2. Would part-time employees be willing to participate in a group health insurance plan if they had to contribute.
DCE salary added to total income. As part of the DCE contract, the parties agreed to form a DCE Retirement Committee and to investigate the feasibility of adding DCE wages to the salary base. The DCE Team felt it was necessary to first find out if full-time members thought this was a good idea before proceeding. As a result, a survey should have been distributed to full-time unit members during the past week. Please read the survey carefully since there are a number of ramifications both for and against trying to acquire this benefit. Fill out the survey and return it by the end of the semester. This survey should also be filled out by DCE members who are part of the state or teacher's retirement boards because they are full-time employees in a school system or a state agency. Because the MCCC does not know where DCE people are employed, anyone interested in filling out the survey should contact his or her chapter president.
Health coverage for part-time employees. This is a more extensive survey from the MTA and will be distributed to all higher education members at the beginning of the spring semester. The MTA will use the answers to the questionnaire to get an idea of how many part-time employees would be willing to become part of a health-care plan and how much they would be willing to pay. Obviously, the more people in the plan, the lower the cost.
The Sexual Harassment Education and Training in the Workplace Act, recently passed by the Massachusetts legislature, amends Mass. General Laws Chapter 15B by adding a new section 3A. This section requires that all employers with six or more employees have specific sexual harassment policies in place by January 1, 1997 (Employers with 15 or more employees must have a policy in place by November 6, 1996.).
The changes in the law includes the following language:
The colleges must provide a written copy of this policy to all employees.
All colleges should have distributed the sexual harassment policy to all employees by November 6, 1996.
Ernest Therrien from Springfield Technical Community College was one of four NEA directors from Massachusetts for the past six years. During his tenure as NEA Director, he was a member of the bargaining team dealing with the merger of the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers. Though his term as NEA Director ended this past September, the NEA asked that. he remain on the bargaining team even though he has no active role within the NEA. He has accepted and is the only classroom teacher on the eleven-member team.
The MCCC and management reached an agreement concerning the administration of certain grievance procedures. A grievant, after filing a grievance, must receive a decision from the immediate supervisor within ten (10) days. If the grievant wants to appeal, he or she has ten days from the date of the decision to file an appeal. If the supervisor does not render a decision within the 10 days, the grievant cannot wait until the supervisor renders a decision and then begin to count the ten days. If there is no decision from the supervisor by the due date, then an appeal to Step Two should be filed immediately. However, an appeal to Step Two must be filed within ten days of receipt of the decision OR twenty days after receipt of the grievance by the supervisor, whichever is sooner. A grievant will lose his or her rights if the timelines are not adhered to in the grievance process.
Another part of the agreement concerns mediation. Those hearings will be scheduled every other month while ensuring that contractual time lines are protected. If a case involves multiple campuses, it will be considered a system-wide grievance and shall be initiated at the level of mediation.
Remember being furloughed? Remember the frustration with the governor for his taking our money when we later found out it was not necessary? Remember the questioning of why the MTA and the higher education locals wanted to pursue arbitration and adjudication in the courts because they believed that our constitutional rights had been violated? Remember the questioning of why we did not do what NAGE and MOSES (other statewide unions) did and agree to the furloughs in order to get our money back sooner?
After four years of court/arbitration hearings and settlement negotiations, the MTA is close to settling this case with the Attorney General's office. Only a few details remain unresolved, and when the agreement is officially signed, all members will be immediately notified and this newsletter will carry a comprehensive overview of the settlement. Stay tuned!
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Nov. 21 |
Unit Personnel Practices Committee (UPPC) elected |
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Nov. 30 |
Full time spring schedule due to chapter |
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Nov. 30 |
Tentative assignments due faculty |
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Dec. 1 |
Sabbatical applications due |
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Dec. 2 |
Student evaluation materials distributed |
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Dec. 15 |
Sabbatical Leave Committee appointed |
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Dec. 18 |
Faculty submit College Service (E4) and Student Advisement (E5) Forms |
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Catherine A. Boudreau MCCC/MTA Newsletter |
The MCCC Newsletter is a publication of the Massachusetts Community College Council. The Newsletter is intended to be an information source for the members of the MCCC and for other interested parties. The material in this publication may be reprinted with the acknowledgment of its source. For further information on issues discussed in this publication, contact Catherine Boudreau, Massasoit Community College, Brockton, MA 02402. |
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