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Political 411

Political 411. Steward Council Meeting September 15, 2011. What to Expect- Session 2012. Redistricting, redistricting and more redistricting Tweaks to SB 736- “Teacher Quality” Bill More Budget Cuts More Attacks on Class Size More Changes to Retirement Benefits

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Political 411

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  1. Political 411 Steward Council Meeting September 15, 2011

  2. What to Expect- Session 2012 • Redistricting, redistricting and more redistricting • Tweaks to SB 736- “Teacher Quality” Bill • More Budget Cuts • More Attacks on Class Size • More Changes to Retirement Benefits • More attacks on Unions and working people • More legislation written by ALEC

  3. FEA Lawsuits

  4. FRS LawsuitTrial Scheduled for 10/26/11 The lawsuit asserts: • That the legislation that requires 3 percent of the salaries of active members of the Florida Retirement System (FRS) be taken from employees to serve as “contributions” toward their retirement benefits is unconstitutional. • The lawsuit further contends that the action by the legislature to reduce the cost-of-living benefits of those employees is also unconstitutional. • The lawsuit alleges that Florida law expressly provides that the Florida Retirement System is one in which employees do not have to contribute part of their salaries and describes that as a contractual obligation of the state. • The suit claims that the legislature’s action unconstitutionally impairs those contractual rights.

  5. MERIT PAY Lawsuit “SB736”Filed 7/14/11 The lawsuit asserts: • Multiple provisions of the law facially deny or abridge Plaintiffs’ right to bargain regarding mandatory subjects of collective bargaining: wages, employment contracts, performance evaluations, promotions, and workforce reductions.

  6. MERIT PAY Lawsuit “SB736”Specific Challenges • Wages (Grandfathered vs. Performance Salary Schedule, Consequence for Opting Performance Salary Schedule, Calculations of Performance Salary Schedule, Payment for Advanced Degrees, Salary Adjustments and supplements going forward) • Employment Contracts (Professional Service Contract, Annual Contract, Probationary Contracts) • Performance Evaluations (Mandatory 50% based on student learning growth, definition of student learning growth) • Promotions (Requirement to be based on student learning growth) • Workforce Reductions (specifies student learning growth measurement be used in lieu of seniority)

  7. The American Jobs Act A Five Point Plan

  8. 1. Tax Cuts to Help America’s Small Businesses Hire and Grow • Cutting the payroll tax in half for 98 percent of businesses: The President’s plan will cut in half the taxes paid by businesses on their first $5 million in payroll, targeting the benefit to the 98 percent of firms that have payroll below this threshold. • A complete payroll tax holiday for added workers or increased wages: The President’s plan will completely eliminate payroll taxes for firms that increase their payroll by adding new workers or increasing the wages of their current worker (the benefit is capped at the first $50 million in payroll increases). • Extending 100% expensing into 2012: This continues an effective incentive for new investment. • Reforms and regulatory reductions to help entrepreneurs and small businesses access capital.

  9. 2. Putting Workers Back on the Job While Rebuilding and Modernizing America • A “Returning Heroes” hiring tax credit for veterans: This provides tax credits from $5,600 to $9,600 to encourage the hiring of unemployed veterans. • Preventing up to 280,000 teacher layoffs,while keeping cops and firefighters on the job. • Modernizing at least 35,000 public schools across the country, supporting new science labs, Internet-ready classrooms and renovations at schools across the country, in rural and urban areas. • Immediate investments in infrastructure and a bipartisan National Infrastructure Bank, modernizing our roads, rail, airports and waterways while putting hundreds of thousands of workers back on the job. • A New “Project Rebuild”, which will put people to work rehabilitating homes, businesses and communities, leveraging private capital and scaling land banks and other public-private collaborations.

  10. 3. Pathways Back to Work for Americans Looking for Jobs • The most innovative reform to the unemployment insurance program in 40 years: As part of an extension of unemployment insurance to prevent 5 million Americans looking for work from losing their benefits, the President’s plan includes innovative work-based reforms to prevent layoffs and give states greater flexibility to use UI funds to best support job-seekers, including: • Work-Sharing:  UI for workers whose employers choose work-sharing over layoffs. • A new “Bridge to Work” program: The plan builds on and improves innovative state programs where those displaced take temporary, voluntary work or pursue on-the-job training. • Innovative entrepreneurship and wage insurance programs: States will also be empowered to implement wage insurance to help reemploy older workers and programs that make it easier for unemployed workers to start their own businesses. • A $4,000 tax credit to employers for hiring long-term unemployed workers. • Prohibiting employers from discriminating against unemployed workers when hiring. • Expanding job opportunities for low-income youth and adults through a fund for successful approaches for subsidized employment, innovative training programs and summer/year-round jobs for youth.

  11. 4. Tax Relief for Every American Worker and Family • Cutting payroll taxes in half for 160 million workers next year: The President’s plan will expand the payroll tax cut passed last year to cut workers payroll taxes in half in 2012 – providing a $1,500 tax cut to the typical American family, without negatively impacting the Social Security Trust Fund. • Allowing more Americans to refinance their mortgages at today’s near 4 percent interest rates, which can put more than $2,000 a year in a family’s pocket.

  12. 5. Fully Paid for as Part of the President’s Long-Term Deficit Reduction Plan • To ensure that the American Jobs Act is fully paid for, the President will call on the Joint Committee to come up with additional deficit reduction necessary to pay for the Act and still meet its deficit target. • The President will, in the coming days, release a detailed plan that will show how we can do that while achieving the additional deficit reduction necessary to meet the President’s broader goal of stabilizing our debt as a share of the economy.

  13. September Call to Action…

  14. Membership Action Plan Week of 9/19/11- • Hold a Unit meeting to call to discuss The American Jobs Act and ask members to make the call to Washington using Florida Congressional Representatives Contact Info sheet provided. (talking points provided). • Use 10 minutes at staff meeting to give FRS and SB 736 lawsuit update and membership pitch (script provided). • “Follow” @UTD_AFT1974 on Twitter and “Like” United Teachers of Dade on Facebook for updates on the status of our lawsuits. Week of 9/26/11- • Watch your email for a draft of Legislative Priorities for 2012. • Hold a Unit meeting to discuss Legislative Priorities and get input on priorities. Week of 10/3/11- • Watch your email for a Leadernet survey link for feedback on Legislative Priorities. • Remind ALL members to complete the Legislative Priorities survey by 10/13/11. (You will receive your schools feedback at the 10/20/11 Council Meeting.) Week of 10/10/11- • Get 3 volunteers to commit to visiting your schools Legislator in November/December to discuss Legislative Priorities while they are home on off Committee Weeks (Weeks of Nov 7, 21 and 29, Dec 12 • Make appointment with your school’s legislator for one of those off weeks. • Complete Leadernet survey for Stewards Only upon completion of Action items. This will be discussed at the Steward Council Meeting on 10/20/11.

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