Just got his e-mail from my union President:
Hello Active Members, Probationary Members and Fee Payers,
It is my understanding that our current contract agreement holds until it expires on September 30, 2014. This means we all continue to pay dues and fee payers will continue to pay to the general scholarship fund. The dollar amounts do not change. No one can opt out of this until the contract expires or something else significant happens that would impact the binding of our local to the MEA.
Your E-board and the university will continue to operate according to the conditions set forth in the agreement.
Going forward however, I and the rest of the elected officers will be monitoring the situation. This means we will:
1. research what has happened in other Right to Work states to provide us with some insight
2. stay involved with the MEA to see what impact this has on the organization
3. review who we are as a local and how we can improve
4. provide opportunities for the membership to voice their opinions and become involved in our future direction
5. continue to meet with the university in a collaborative manner to ensure a future that is right for us all
We have the gift of time. With the contract in place until Oct 1st of 2014, we are in a great position to see what happens at other universities and bargaining units across the state.
We also have a university who is interested in and has proven that they are interested in good working relationships and healthy work environments. We have members who are strong leaders with well-developed problem solving skills. I don’t have a crystal ball however I do know and strongly believe that we will be ok...better than ok actually. I look at this as an opportunity to challenge the university and our membership to work together for the betterment of us all.
Best wishes and happy holidays!
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We'll see...
