Given the length and detail of the past couple of bulletins, I will keep this one short.  It was another busy week up in Concord, with committees holding hearings on numerous bills of interest to AFT-NH.  The Education Committee held a public hearing on HB 1277, to reduce from five to three years the time in which a teacher is an ‘at will’ employee with no right to a hearing or explanation for a termination.  I testified in favor of the bill, but it is unlikely the bill will get a positive recommendation from the committee, largely because the current system (in place since 2011) gives districts two additional years in which budgetary issues can be easily addressed by terminating teachers.  Uncertainty on the job is not the best way to treat education professionals, and the current five-year ‘at will” period only makes recruitment and retention of teachers that much more difficult.  Nevertheless, I do not hold out much hope for a positive outcome this session.

Madison, WI – Faculty, students, and staff across the UW System are reacting to the recent news that the largest UW System reorganization in 40 years was an “open secret” at the Capitol.  According to a report from Wisconsin Public Radio (WPR), “Before faculty, staff and students learned about the plan to eliminate the two-year UW Colleges and UW-Extension, UW System President Ray Cross had discussed it with a lawmaker who called for similar action in 2015.”  In a clear disregar

Fresh from the printer, our 2016-2021 contract books are now available. We are methodically distributing them to members to facilitate one-to-one and small-group interactions, as this provides a fantastic opportunity for member engagement. 

How do you get your copy?

Members of AFT-Maryland locals got the attention of Baltimore's WJZ Channel 13 on the recent Lobby Night trip to Annapolis. WJZ's George Solis spoke with the president of the City Union of Baltimore, Antoinette Ryan-Johnson as well as the... 

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The AFT-Maryland brought four buses of members, labor leaders, community members, students and parents to Annapolis for its annual Lobby Night. Draped in the federation’s well known royal blue, and equipped with packets full of important notes on the legislative priorities important to the members of the federation, members from unions and community groups alike all came with the same message: FUNDING.

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