USEP Update – Wednesday, March 24th, 2021

Greetings USEP members,

Here is the latest news from the office:

• RETRO PAY – should be a special payroll to all qualified employees this Friday, March 26, 2021. You should have already received your new pay rate in the Feb. 19, 2021, pay. If you have concerns or questions, please contact your Business Rep.

• SB 1014/HB 835 – We just heard yesterday that HB 835, the companion bill for SB 1014, which is so devastating to unions, will not be heard in committee this week. It was scheduled for the House State Admin. & Technology Appropriations Committee. There seems to be some behind the scenes action with these two bills, but we cannot consider them done just yet. Remember “zombie legislation” - bills that come back from the dead in the year ending “train” bills? Stay tuned...

• USEP Class Action Grievance – USEP filed a Class Action Grievance against the District for its handling of the James Marlowe and Centennial Elementary “school closing” situations. There are 4 major contractual concerns we are addressing. We were heard at Level 2 (District Staff level – ER & HREQ) and were summarily dismissed. We have appealed and will now be heard at the Superintendent’s level.

• USEP ELECTIONS – This year’s USEP election cycle is for Executive Board seats only - 3 for Instructional and 1 for SRP. During the initial nomination period, we had only 2 Instructional nominations come in, so those 2, Fai Fai Ho and Mark Englander, will retain their seats on the Board for 3 more years by acclamation. We still had 1 Instructional and 1 SRP seat vacant, so the Rep Council voted to extend the nomination period. We had 2 additional Instructional candidates file along with 1 SRP. Ginger Blomeley will retain her SRP Board seat by acclamation, however, we will need a run-off between Susan Cullum (Science Teacher at WCHS) and Erin McWilliams (Science teacher at CENMS) for the remaining Instructional vacancy.

We hope you had a restful week off and enjoyed time away from the hectic pace this year has been. Please know that USEP continues to advocate on your behalf regularly on issues that pertain to your job, salary working conditions and benefits. Thank you for supporting YOUR UNION!

Don Peace

President, USEP