AFT’s Weingarten on the Biden Plan for Educators, Students and Our Future

For Immediate Release
May 28, 2019

Contact:
Andrew Crook
o: 202-393-8637
c: 607-280-6603
acrook@aft.org
www.aft.org

AFT’s Weingarten on the Biden Plan for Educators, Students and Our Future

HOUSTON—AFT President Randi Weingarten issued the following statement after she joined Vice President Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden and for an AFT Votes town hall during which the former vice president released his comprehensive plan for public education in America:

“Joe Biden’s education plan represents the kind of muscular investment we urgently need to meet the needs of America’s kids, their families and their educators. The former vice president and Dr. Biden are committed to public schools because they know teachers are on the front line, protecting and nurturing the next generation.

“Like so many of the other candidates’ plans we have praised, this one is far more than rhetoric: It lays out concrete steps to fund the future of American public education by tripling Title I funding and boosting funding for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act so we live up to our promise to the country’s neediest children. It invests in mentoring and community schools and teacher diversity, closes the teacher pay gap, and doubles the number of school psychologists, counselors and nurses. It recognizes that education follows our students from birth all the way through college by fixing Public Service Loan Forgiveness once and for all, while investing in community colleges and providing universal pre-K for 3- and 4-year-olds.

“I have worked closely with Joe throughout my career and spent today with him and AFT members from across Texas. The former vice president has lived a life filled with compassion, understanding and incredible resilience. He understands people, and he fights for them. And this education plan reflects his core values to a T.”

AFT survey of members re: student debt

Many AFT members and their families are struggling under a mountain of student debt, making it difficult for them to make ends meet. This is an opportunity issue, a funding issue, a living wage issue and a quality of life issue. College has become the new high school, yet we fail to fund it as a public good; as a result, student debt has exceeded $1.5 trillion. That’s why the AFT has taken on the student debt crisis as a union issue. In fact, a few months ago, 11 of our members filed a proposed class-action lawsuit, on behalf of all employees who work in public service, against Navient, a student loan servicer, for purposely and systematically giving these workers inaccurate information about their eligibility for income-driven repayment plans and the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. However, Navient is not the only one to blame. As of the end of December 2018, 53,749 unique borrowers had submitted 65,500 applications for public service loan forgiveness, and only 610 applications had been approved by the Department of Education. Those who work in public service are being denied the forgiveness they are entitled to at alarmingly high rates, and it’s time to put a stop to it. The law that created this program, by the way, was a bipartisan one—signed by President George W. Bush and spearheaded by Sens. Hillary Clinton and Ted Kennedy more than a decade ago. That’s why the AFT is exploring further legal action on behalf of our members who have been denied public service loan forgiveness. Specifically, we are looking for AFT members whose applications for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program have been denied. Such members must meet the following criteria: Made 120 payments on their federal student loans; Worked in a public or private school, for the government, or for a nonprofit organization for at least 10 years; and Applied for and were denied public service loan forgiveness. If you fit this description and would be interested in being considered, click here and answer a few questions. Please also share this link with other public employees and AFT members. The AFT or our lawyers may then reach out to you to learn more about your experience. Any information you share will be kept strictly confidential unless you give your express permission. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions. In unity,

Contingent & Adjunct Faculty Survey

While contingent and adjunct faculty across the nation are struggling, college and university administrators and endowments are prospering. It’s no surprise that in the past few weeks alone we’ve seen contingent and adjunct faculty speak up, form unions, and even go on strike as they demand equal pay and job security. The AFT has been on the front line of this fight for equality for decades, and, as we continue to grow our union, we need to hear about your experiences in order to reflect the needs of our members. Contingent faculty—including nontenure-track professors, adjuncts, lecturers and graduate employees—often feel the brunt of budget cuts and increasing workloads without increasing pay. Over the past 50 years, the use of academic workers facing contingent employment has skyrocketed. We know that as administrators try to cut labor costs, they’re also cutting the quality of our workplaces. That’s why we’re asking to hear your stories and experiences. Please take 10-15 minutes to complete this survey and add your voice to the growing national narrative about the solutions we need if we hope to make the ideals of higher education sustainable. We need to hear from you about your quality of work life so we can find the innovative solutions that will create real improvements. In unity, Randi Weingarten AFT President

Review and Comment on Board Policy 4.2

TO:

Inter Faculty Organization
Minnesota State College Faculty
Minnesota State University Association of

     Administrative and Service Faculty
LeadMN - Minnesota State College Student Association
Students United - Minnesota State University Student Association

Minnesota Association of Professional Employees

American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees

Middle Management Association

The following information is being sent to you on behalf of Vice Chancellor for Human Resources Eric Davis.  

_______________________________________________________________

Colleagues,

Board Policy 4.2 is available for review and comment. .  The policies and procedures are located on the P&P review site at https://mnscu.sharepoint.com/sites/policy/SitePages/Reviews.aspx. Please log in using your [StarID]@minnstate.edu and your regular password. All feedback and comments may be submitted and viewed through this site.  Please share this correspondence with your leadership members, constituents and other appropriate personnel for review and comment.  Any questions on the policy or how to leave a comment can be referred to Reneé Hogoboom  renee.hogoboom@minnstate.edu or Eric Davis  eric.davis@minnstate.edu.

Responses are requested by June 11, 2019.

With respect,

Eric Davis

Vice Chancellor for Human Resources

–

Minnesota State

30 East 7th Street, St. Paul, MN 55101

o (651) 201-1827  | www.MinnState.edu

AFT's Randi Weingarten on the NURSE Act

For Immediate Release
May 10, 2019

Contact:
Elena Temple
202-309-4906
etemple@aft.org
www.aft.org

AFT's Randi Weingarten on the NURSE Act

WASHINGTON—Statement from Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, on support for the Nurses for Under-Resourced Schools Everywhere (NURSE) Act, sponsored by Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Rep. Dina Titus (D-Nev.), to help provide nurses in under-resourced public schools:  “When kids get sick or injured at school, or have unique medical needs, school nurses are right there, providing the care and comfort students need to feel safe and healthy at school. This bill isn’t just about providing that care for the kids who have enough, it’s about providing it for the kids who need a little more, too.  “Unfortunately, a decade of disinvestment in public schools has left more than half of all schools nationwide with no full-time healthcare professional: Three million students in this country attend schools with some kind of police or security officer, but no nurse. And too often, these positions are cut in lower-income districts where students’ only exposure to healthcare may be at school. School nurses care for other people’s children—they know their names and they invest in their well-being. In turn, we must invest in those nurses. “The NURSE Act makes federal funding available to put a nurse in every school, so children in under-resourced public schools can get equitable access to the care they need, and be ready to learn.”

AFT President Randi Weingarten on the Comprehensive Addiction Resources Emergency (CARE) Act

For Immediate Release
May 10, 2019

Contact:
Elena Temple
202-309-4906
etemple@aft.org www.aft.org

AFT President Randi Weingarten on the Comprehensive Addiction Resources Emergency (CARE) Act

WASHINGTON—American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten today issued the following statement on the Comprehensive Addiction Resources Emergency (CARE) Act, legislation introduced by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) that would provide $100 billion in federal funding over 10 years to expand access to treatment and recovery support services for substance use and addiction:

“This bill provides a much-needed lifeline to the communities hit hardest by the opioid epidemic that is hurting so many families. Funding provided under the CARE Act would deliver targeted resources to cities and towns that have been hollowed out by this addiction, which is quickly becoming a leading cause of death in the U.S.; in 2017, more than 50,000 Americans’ deaths were related to the use of opioids.

“Using the bipartisan, landmark Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency Act as a template, the legislation is more than just government rhetoric. It uses evidence-based treatment programs and builds on them to increase the care capacity and expand opportunities so more people get help in dealing with opioid addiction.

“AFT members have seen firsthand the devastating effects of opioid addiction, and the influence it has on schools, economies and families. Our work in McDowell County, W.Va.; Massena, N.Y.; the Mahoning Valley in Ohio; and other communities affected by this crisis has brought to light just how important it is to invest in education, treatment, support and care as we work to mitigate the damage of opioids in our communities.

“As a union of educators and school staff, nurses, healthcare workers and public employees, we can honor these professionals and further support their work in this week—which is dedicated to recognizing nurses, teachers and public employees—by ensuring this critical legislation is funded.”

AFT President Randi Weingarten Responds to the House Appropriations Committee’s Full Markup of the FY2020 Labor, HHS, Education Funding Bill

For Immediate Release
May 8, 2019

Contact:
Sarah Hager
803-493-5180
shager@aft.org
www.aft.org

AFT President Randi Weingarten Responds to the House Appropriations Committee’s Full Markup of the FY2020 Labor, HHS, Education Funding Bill

WASHINGTON—AFT President Randi Weingarten issued the following statement following the full markup of the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies bill by the House Appropriations Committee:

“Students in schools throughout America need support and funding that actually invests in their future—things like smaller class sizes, community schools and after-school programs, as well as early childhood education, child care and ways to make college more affordable. The federal government has long ago promised this investment to our students with special needs and our students who are poor. With this appropriations budget, the House Democrats have taken a big step toward fulfilling those promises.

“This bill also takes the commonsense approach to keeping schools safer by reconfirming current law that blocks the use of federal funds to arm teachers, while at the same time funding efforts that will actually make schools safer and more welcoming for kids, such as community schools and wraparound services.

“The investments House Democrats put forward in their budget stand in stark contrast to the deep cuts President Trump and Secretary DeVos are proposing, and instead serve as a good-faith effort to counter the years of deep disinvestment in our public schools.”

May 6 edition, Pension Issues in the News

MAY 6, 2019

MINNESOTA NEWS + OPINION

Kim Crockett to speak at Metro Republican Women meeting

ECM Publishers

Her research and advocacy focus have been on public unions and labor law, public pensions, the Metropolitan Council and the estate tax impact on ...

NATIONAL NEWS + OPINION

Meet the man who helped create one of the best public pension plans in America

MarketWatch

It's a habit the former head of Wisconsin's public pension fund has kept up for decades. In the first year of his retirement, 30 years ago, Gates collected ...

Let's talk about Social Security's $80 billion negative cash-flow crisis

Washington Post

The overall public reaction to Social Security's negative cash flow, which I (and other people) have ... But private-sector pensions are disappearing.

California's pension debt is harming teachers and students now—and it's going to get worse

Brookings Institution (blog)

Rising pension contribution rates are causing great angst among school ... State Teachers' Retirement System (CalSTRS) has amassed substantial debt. ... to educate all of California's public K-12 students for a year ( $97.2 billion).

Oklahoma House Asks for Review on 4% Cost-of-Living Adjustment for State Retirees

Public Radio Tulsa

State representatives have their own ideas about giving a cost-of-living increase to Oklahomans receiving state pensions. Three weeks ago, a Senate ...

The Push for COLAs and Teacher Pay Raises in Texas

National Public Pension Coalition

This increase was applauded by the Texas Pension Coalition (TPC), ... Retired public employees, who for the most part stay in their communities after ...

This may be why Americans are so bad at saving for retirement

MarketWatch

Americans are often told not to touch their retirement savings until the future, but the ... John, a senior strategic policy adviser at the AARP Public Policy Institute. ... Companies could help their employees balance saving for retirement, ...

RI lawmakers propose 'stipends' on top of pensions for retired state, local employees

The Providence Journal

PROVIDENCE — A push is on by a small group of lawmakers to give a pension boost to retired state and municipal employees, and public school ...

Illinois Senate passes bill barring pension double-dipping for local politicians

Illinois Policy

Local elected leaders will not be paid public salaries while collecting public pensions if a bill approved by the Illinois Senate becomes law. Senate Bill ...

Audit Finds Illinois Police, Firefighter Pensions Lack Proper Oversight

Chief Investment Officer

The audit found that 383 of the pensions, or 58%, were examined only once by the Public Pension Division of Illinois' Department of Insurance ...

Auto enrollment not an option for most government DC plans

Pensions & Investments

... primarily 401(k) plans, to offer auto enrollment but excluded public-sector DC plans, which aren't covered by ERISA. "The Pension Protection Act ...

Morgan Stanley to pay $130 million to California pensions over bad investments

Los Angeles Times

One of the world's largest investment banks has agreed to put $130 million into the nation's biggest public pension system to settle accusations it ...

A Stress Test of Philadelphia's Retirement System

The Pew Charitable Trusts (blog)

Philadelphia sponsors a retirement plan as part of the compensation .... and plan design of one public retirement system with those of similar systems, ...

Case Study Shows How to Improve Public DB Investment Allocation Process

PLANSPONSOR

A report from the Center for Retirement Research (CRR) at Boston College notes that some public pensions allow for a target allocation “range” for ...

Summary of the Quarterly Survey of Public Pensions for 2018: Q4

Census Bureau

For the 100 largest public-employee pension systems in the country, assets (cash and investments) totaled $3640.1 billion in the fourth quarter of ...

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown Turns Her Back on Public Employees

National Public Pension Coalition

Public employees rallied around Gov. Kate Brown because she was pro-public pension, believes in workers rights, and is an ardent supporter of ...

Public safety pension gave top boss $43K raise. Officials warn it may have been illegal.

AZCentral.com

A day after being warned not to give raises to staff, the state public safety retirement system board gave a $39,500 raise to the fund's interim director, ...

Learning from Rhode Island's Pension Reform: What Did it Teach Us About Worker Retention?

Reason Foundation

This line of research is particularly relevant at a time when public employee pension plans across the nation are facing major solvency challenges, ...

How Pa. and NJ taxpayers are on the hook for last year's pension losses for public employees

Philly.com

Only one — the Public School Employee Retirement System (PSERS), with over $50 billion in assets — reported making any money at all, a positive ...

Wyoming public sector wage growth tops nation

Gillette News Record

CASPER — Employees in Wyoming's public sector have experienced the ... “Has public sector compensation risen above pay for similarly-qualified ... pensions or other retirement plans, which the American Enterprise Institute study ...

CalPERS bill for California state worker pensions set to reach $7 billion next year

Sacramento Bee

California state government's bill for public employee pensions is set to rise by $676 million. CalPERS on Tuesday advanced a scheduled increase in ...

What Maryland can learn from Michigan's successful public pension reform

Washington Post

In contrast, Maryland faces a looming public pension crisis. Maryland has promised government employees and retirees $21 billion more than ...

Why the Pa. teachers' pension fund is buying fruit orchards in Florida and nut farms on the west coast

Philly.com

... Public School Employees Retirement System, Pennsylvania's largest state investment fund, have lately been “directly” buying investment properties, ...

Kentucky governor vetoes pension relief bill

Pensions & Investments

Matt Bevin vetoed a pension relief bill that would have allowed ... Kentucky lawmakers in the House and Senate passed the pension relief bill on March 28, ... including universities, public health departments, regional mental health ...

DB Plans Can Afford to Loosen Up on Target Allocations

PLANSPONSOR

... the Center for Retirement Research (CRR) at Boston College notes that some public pensions allow for a target allocation “range” for different asset ...

10-year equity rally isn't enough to raise public plans' funded status

Pensions & Investments

U.S. public pension plans' funded status dropped in the 10 years ended 2018, during a period when equities rallied, said Ashwin Alankar, portfolio ...

The growth of salaries and benefits in the federal government, state and local governments and ...

American Enterprise Institute

Benefits, including pension accruals, grew substantially faster in the public than the private sectors. As a result, total compensation from 1998 to 2017 ...

Why the Longest US Bull Market Has Failed to Fix the Nation's Public Pensions

Wall Street Journal

Maine's public pension fund earned double-digit returns in six of the past nine years. Yet the Maine Public Employees Retirement System is still $2.9 ...

EDITORIAL: Proposal could create PERS death spiral

Las Vegas Review-Journal

Despite all the problems with its Public Employees' Retirement System, Nevada has consistently done one thing right. It has re-evaluated and ...

New return reality of public pensions

Pensions & Investments

Recent data collected by the National Association of State Retirement Administrators show that state and local pension plans continue to lower return ...

Toll Roads Could Fix America's State-Pension Crisis. Here's How.

Barron's

Toll Roads Could Fix America's State-Pension Crisis. ... bridges, and tunnels along with shoring up public employee pensions—which is a multi-trillion ...

Kentucky lawmakers approve pension relief bill for 'quasi' agencies

Pensions & Investments

Kentucky lawmakers passed a pension relief bill that would require 121 ... Under HB 358, "quasi-governmental agencies," including public health ...

AFT’s Weingarten Responds to Betsy DeVos on Teacher Salaries

For Immediate Release
May 6, 2019

Contact:
Andrew Crook
607-280-6603
acrook@aft.org
www.aft.org

AFT’s Weingarten Responds to Betsy DeVos on Teacher Salaries

WASHINGTON—AFT President Randi Weingarten issued the following statement after Education Secretary Betsy DeVos raised the important issue of teacher salaries at the Education Writers Association National Seminar.

“It’s great that Betsy finally thinks higher teacher salaries are important. More than a decade ago, when I was president of the United Federation of Teachers in New York City, we were able to bargain $100,000 for teachers who had a couple of decades of experience. While we disagreed on other things, Mayor Bloomberg and I worked hard to get that done.

“I’d be delighted if Betsy wants to get all teachers close to $200,000—they deserve that—and so much more. Let’s start by using a proposal like the one from Kamala Harris, who is actually with us today visiting public schools in Detroit and Dearborn and listening to the educators who teach our children. We could do this if Betsy worked with us to revoke tax cuts for rich people. She won’t even have to give up the summer homes and the yachts.”